Finding Robin
by darlsonalice
Summary: Robin has been missing for nearly two years, although everyone knows who took him. The Titans frantically search for him, though it is not always easy to find Slade's apprentice. They desperately want Robin back, but are they prepared to handle what they find? -Takes place a little over two years after Trouble in Tokyo-
1. Assassin

Disclaimer: I do not own Robin, Slade, the Titans, or any other DC character that may appear in this story.

Rated M for future content including: graphic violence and (possibly) some sexual themes.

This is my first fan fiction, so please feel free to review! It would be much appreciated. Please, only constructive criticism, no flaming. If you have any suggestions on how I could improve my writing or storytelling, I would very much like to hear them! Thank you.

(Also, do not read the reviews before the story as they contain spoilers!)

* * *

Robin could feel the leathery material of the couch in between his fingers as he gazed uncaringly at the coffee table. The sun shone through the window in bright streaks of warmth, landing all along the room and Robin's skin. One ray was directly in line with his eyes, but he didn't move, he didn't care enough to move… His chest rose and fell steadily with his breath and his eyes were unfocused.

Suddenly, the door opened and a man walked in. He surveyed the room, taking note of the young man sitting on the couch, leaning forward with his arms on his knees and his hands gently caressing the edges of the couch. He seemed so calm, so unnervingly at ease for someone in his situation. His jet black hair lay flat against his head, shiny from the obvious use of product. The man walked a little further into the room, moving out of the way of the door and leaving it ajar. The young man hadn't looked up since he entered the room; in fact, it almost seemed as if he hadn't noticed the older man's presence. This shocked him slightly; normally, men jumped at the sound of the door opening alone, but for him not to even acknowledge the man's presence, it was almost disrespectful.

"The Boss is waiting for you." The man's voice was musky and deep. Robin took in a breath and slowly lifted his head up. A very tall, burly man stood across the room from him, holding out his arm so as to indicate that he could enter the next room. Robin looked at him for a while, his eyes passing over every inch of the man's body, almost as if he was looking for something. They stopped at his face, at the scar that marred the left half of his jaw. The man shifted his weight, unease settling across his chest at the look that the young man was giving him. Robin saw his jaw tense slightly and rose from the couch, ready to begin.

He walked across the floor, rounding the coffee table and heading towards the door. The man approached him from behind, following him to the next room and stopping at the entryway. Robin entered the room and casually took a seat in one of the chairs at the front of the desk. A tall, slim man nodded towards his assistant who in turn shut the door, leaving the two alone in the office.

"I see that you found my office fine," the man said with his back turned away from Robin, observing some artifact on one of his shelves. Robin did not answer, but merely remained seated, staring fixedly at the desk in front of him. "I was glad to hear that we could come to some mutual agreement," the man said as he put the object back onto the shelf. His voice was very composed and smooth; he caressed each word as if it was a fine silk. "I know how difficult it can be with your boss." The man turned around to look at Robin, curiosity in his eyes; he had never seen the young man before, yet had heard so much about him.

Robin was now looking at the man with expressionless eyes, imploring him to continue. The man took a step forward and sat down in the plush chair behind the desk, folding his hands in front of him. He surveyed Robin a few moments longer, studying his face, his eyes. The man's eyes squinted slightly and Robin felt a shift in the atmosphere. "Shall we get started? I know that you and your boss are not pleased with what happened last week, and let me just assure that I was not aware that the target had been yours. Or surely I would not have taken the job." The man studied Robin, trying to find a change in his expression… to much avail. "I find that this can be easily remedied with a simple contract for the future, to make sure that nothing like this happens again." He swallowed and scratched his scalp lightly, leaving streaks on his bald head from his fingernails.

Robin observed the man, noticing him becoming paler as he put his hands back onto the desk, his thumbs fiddling with each other. "It would be most beneficial to the both of our parties if we kept an open communication system about future jobs so as to… keep….the," the man swallowed, "peace." He looked at Robin nervously, his breathing becoming shallow. He stood up abruptly and walked back to the shelf, his back once again to Robin. He picked up an object from one of the shelves and looked at it, his eyes sorrowful. In that moment, he felt a certain twinge at his heart; he could not quite place it. It was neither happy nor sad, it was almost acceptance.

"I notice that you are not wearing your mask... Highly unusual, at least from what I have heard." He stroked the object with his index finger, looking at it one more time before lifting his head up. "I have only heard of one circumstance in which you are seen without your mask." He felt a change in the air, as if it had been moved, shuffled around. He placed the object back upon the shelf, angling it so that it was facing his desk and took a deep breath, turning to face Robin. The air changed, it became tense with anticipation.

Rays of sunshine shone through the blinds just as they had in the previous room and small dust particles could be seen dancing around in them. Robin was now standing directly in front of him, having stood up whilst he had his back turned. He knew the purpose of this visit; he could tell from the moment he saw Robin enter the room. He had held out hope that maybe the matter could be settled, but deep inside he knew. He knew the true nature of the visit, which was why he had stayed so late the previous night…. He had to say goodbye, just in case. He wanted their last memory of him to be fond, before they learned the truth about him. He just hoped that they would remember the good things about him and focus on the man, not the criminal.

He looked at Robin, eyes knowing, and placed his hands forward, palms up, signaling that he was ready. The metal was shining in the sunlight, reflecting one of the beams back towards the window. It had been freshly polished, not a single fingerprint blemishing the surface. The man observed the eerie beauty of it; he couldn't explain quite what he found so beautiful about it, but he didn't care enough to try. His eyes shifted from the object in Robin's hand up to his eyes, taking note of the dead emptiness in them. He looked deep into Robin's eyes and for that one moment in time, he felt sorry for him. He drew one last breath, waiting.

Robin lifted his arm, his gaze landing on the man's face, and pulled the trigger.

* * *

Robin was lying face down on the cold, stone floor. Blood was dripping out of his mouth and onto the floor as he coughed. He could taste the iron, so bitter on his tongue, mixing with the dirty taste of the floor. He continued coughing until a foot wedged itself under his stomach and flipped him over onto his back with a swift kick. The steel on the boot felt cold against Robin's smoldering hot skin and Robin gasped in a quick and painful breath. His lungs were on fire and every time he breathed he felt a stabbing pain in his ribs. Yet, he still hadn't given up; he would continue to fight, even if it killed him.

"Tsk, tsk Robin. I expected more of a fight from you," Slade's voice drawled. Oh how Robin hated that smooth, drawling voice. Robin coughed once more and attempted to sit up. He could still feel Slade's steel toed boot pressing lightly on his skin. Noticing his feeble attempt to get up, Slade pressed his boot harder into Robin's ribs, pushing him back onto the floor and making him cough even more violently, blood oozing from the corners of his mouth. Slade squatted down and leaned closer to Robin's face, his expression dangerous.

"Next time I give you an order, you follow it!" Slade barked. He pushed his boot into Robin's ribs with the entirety of his weight one more time before standing up and putting his foot back onto the ground. One could distinctly hear a loud crack amidst Robin's howl of pain and Slade was certain that he had broken a rib this time. Robin's head was spinning, perhaps from the loss of blood, perhaps from his inability to understand why he was where he is now. All that he knew was that he had to get up and fight, he could not, would not give up.

Slade walked around Robin's small form and stopped in front of his head, his boots lightly brushing against Robin's hair. Robin felt a very powerful shiver run down his spine at the sudden sensation of cold steel against his scalp. He looked up at Slade's towering form above him, his vision blurring. Slade squatted down, his face now directly above Robin's, and gently caressed a lock of his hair. Something about the gentleness of the act scared Robin beyond all reason. Slade was not a man that caressed or was gentle in any way, and it was rather terrifying. "You are _mine_ Robin," Slade growled and his grip began to tighten. Slade began pulling Robin into a sitting position by the clutches of his hair, forcing him to comply. Robin's hands flew to Slade's, frantically attempting to loosen his grip, but no matter how hard he pulled or scratched at Slade's hands, he could not get him to let go. Slade dragged Robin several feet by his hair before throwing him headfirst into a wall. Robin was now borderline unconscious, dizziness overwhelming him.

Slade looked down at the young boy lying on the ground below him, annoyance in his eye. The boy had barely put up a fight, far less than is to be expected from _his_ apprentice. He was going to have to teach him a lesson, Robin had far more to learn than he had initially thought. He had gone soft after all those years with the Titans. After all that time that Slade had spent away from Jump. Apparently Robin needed Slade to challenge him, well now he would get all of the challenge that he would ever need.

Robin rolled over onto his side, taking in deep breaths, preparing to get up and fight. This did not go unnoticed by Slade as he started to circle the young boy. His will to keep going is what initially attracted him to Robin; it is what made him want him as an apprentice in the first place. There were many things that he admired in the boy, many things that reminded him of himself; they were after all, so alike.

Robin squeezed his eyes shut and rolled onto his hands and knees, continuing to take in sharp breaths. He could hear Slade's boots thudding as he circled him and knew that Slade could easily kick him back to the ground at any moment. His entire body ached, his lungs burned, his head spun, and blood poured from an open wound in his head, but he didn't care. He had to fight, because if he didn't, that would mean accepting that he was Slade's apprentice, and he would never let that happen. He opened his eyes, took in another breath, and stood up, albeit shakily. Slade stopped right in front of him and stood still, beckoning for Robin to throw a punch. The entirety of his demeanor was mocking and he knew that that would rub Robin in just the right way.

Robin felt the rage build up inside of him, every inch of his body hated this man, every fiber of his being loathed his existence. As rage started to consume him, the edges of his vision began to blacken, his peripherals no longer functional. Robin threw a punch, despite his failing vision, which Slade easily blocked. He stumbled back and fell to his knees, his legs giving in and his body shaking. The darkness started to close in, engulfing Robin's vision until he could no longer see at all.

* * *

In just one moment, the man was gone, never to return, when just a few seconds ago he was living and breathing. How fragile life can be, one second here and the next gone. How easily life can be taken, stolen from a person and without a moment's thought. At least for some…

Robin lowered his arm and looked down at the man slumped upon the floor, lifeless, covered in blood. The clash of rushing feet sounded behind Robin and the door behind him suddenly slammed open. The now dead man's assistant was standing in the doorway, shock flowing through his body in waves. Before he could even reach for his holster, Robin lifted his arm behind him and with a slight turn of his head shot the man square in the face. The man collapsed to the ground, blood flowing steadily from the gunshot wound in his head and pooling onto the floor.

Robin hadn't even blinked, in fact he had barely moved at all. He slowly turned his head back towards the desk, placing his gun back into his thigh holster, and walked to the filing cabinet. He stopped for just a moment, looking at the small frame pointing towards the desk. The man, now dead on the floor near his desk, was pictured with his two daughters. Robin's eyes lingered on the blood spattered frame for just one more second before he continued towards the filing cabinet as if he had never stopped.

Outside, two shots could be heard echoing through the small, suburban neighborhood. It would be only a matter of time before the police were alerted and on their way. Yet, even with the travesty going on inside the small dental office, daily life went on. Birds were chirping, the occasional car drove down the street, and the trees rustled in the wind. You see, no matter what happens… no matter how horrible it may be, life still moves on. People still move on. Nobody truly cares, so long as it doesn't affect them. And even then, they get over it eventually. At least that is what Robin has come to learn in the past two years: _that nobody cares_.

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Once again, please review. I really would like to improve my writing and the best way to do that is through constructive criticism! Thanks for reading!


	2. On To Something

-The disclaimer is in Chapter One-

Once again, please review, I would like to know what you think! Thank you!

* * *

The night was cool and still, the outskirts of the finally city settling down. All around, citizens were preparing to go to bed, ready to wind down the day. Though, one citizen's day was far from over. A young man around the age of twenty could be found running through a system of alleyways, sleek as the night itself. His footsteps were soundless, his movements swift, and his technique flawless. He was a shadow, unseen by those that populated the suburbs.

The jet black haired kid headed towards the outer edges of the town, taking the occasional rooftop and running with tremendous stamina. His breath was steady and his form impeccable. He was wearing a solid black leotard with a large orange S that started on his right shoulder and rounded its way down to his inner left thigh. He wore black steel toed boots, though they made no sound along the pavement, and several metal plates along his arms and legs. His mask was mostly black, the portion directly over his eyes being white, and the ends rounded from the edges of his eyes down his jawline in a thin strip of fabric.

The young man suddenly skidded to a stop, crouching down with his hand pressing on the ground. He looked forward at the warehouse, seemingly abandoned and falling apart; though he knew better. He had become all too familiar with structurally unstable warehouses in recent years. He stood up and walked calmly towards the warehouse, careful not to set off any of the alarm triggers. He learned to not set off the alarm a long time ago after Slade beat him within an inch of his life; Slade's reasoning being that Robin needed to learn to not set off alarms on future missions.

Inside the warehouse, a loud clang could be heard reverbing along the hallways, followed by the sound of footsteps. Robin's steel toed boots always clicked against the steel floors in the warehouse, no matter how softly he walked. He believed that Slade did this on purpose so that he could always hear what Robin was doing, not that Robin cared anymore. He walked along the corridors, taking several turns before arriving at a large set of doors. He opened the massive doors and walked into the room nonchalantly, heading towards the large work bench where Slade was sitting.

He stopped, standing directly next to Slade's chair, and dropped a file onto the bench in front of Slade, who grunted in response. He continued to examine the small metal object in his hand, ignoring the file next to him. Robin turned and walked back towards the doors, taking the silence as his queue to leave. Robin had reached the end of the room and had one foot out of the door when he was stopped. Slade leaned back in his chair, placing the object back on the bench, and crossed his hands in his lap.

"The mission went well, I presume?" he said, his voice calm and collected. Robin turned around to face him.

"Yes," Robin said, his voice void of emotion. He stood still like a statue, his breathing the only thing indicating that he was human. The room was silent, the only sound being that of a ticking clock in the distance. Robin waited, being used to Slade's drawn out response times.

"And I see that you retrieved the file," Slade stated. He was now looking up towards the roof, his expression thoughtful.

Robin continued to look at him, "Yes." His face was impassive and his voice monotonous. He felt nothing towards Slade, not even anger. He gave up on that a long time ago; life just became easier once he gave up.

Slade turned his head and looked at Robin. "Good," he replied and turned back around, once again examining the small metal object. Robin stared back at him for a moment longer before turning around and continuing on his way out. He knew that Slade had meant something by that, he didn't normally stop to talk to Robin after a mission. Whatever it meant, Robin wasn't keen upon finding out and decided to just forget it.

He walked down the halls absentmindedly, his shoes clacking. He wasn't certain whether or not he wanted to go to bed. He was kind of hungry, but in no mood to cook. So he just wandered along the halls, not particularly knowing where he was going. He was letting his body go into auto-pilot, something he did a lot these days. He liked to wander sometimes, he liked not having anywhere to go, anywhere to be… It made him feel almost free, like he was no longer Robin, but just some kid.

-Jump City-

Across the country, in a city far away, another young boy was pacing along his hallways. His heart was racing and his mind flew in fifty different directions. He was contemplating something that he believed to be important, but he was sure that they would pass it off as nothing. It was late at night and he knew that most of them were asleep. Should he wake them? 'It is important though,' he thought to himself. Suddenly, in a split second, he decided. He was going to tell them, and he was going to make them hear him out. He turned and sprinted towards the doors, which slid open for him, and ran into the main room. In the far corner a tall man could be seen typing on a computer.

"Cyborg! We need to call a meeting. NOW!" Beast Boy shouted, his voice urgent. He stood on the stairs in front of the doors, his eyes drooping from fatigue. Cyborg turned around quickly, alerted by the tone of Beast Boy's voice. He knew it must be important, considering that Beast Boy was normally asleep by this time.

"What's wrong? What happened?" Cyborg asked, his voice full of alarm. Was there danger in the Tower? Was the city being destroyed? The alarm would have gone off on its own if something like that happened. So what had Beast Boy so worked up? Cyborg's mind was racing, trying to figure out what could be wrong.

"JUST DO IT!" Beast Boy shouted. Cyborg was getting worried now. He ran towards the main computer of the room and set off the alarm, waking up the rest of the Titans. Beast Boy ran down the stairs towards Cyborg, preparing to start the meeting. He stopped directly in front of the mainframe computer, Cyborg watching him with concern the entire time. He began collecting his thoughts and was once again pacing, impatience washing over him. What is taking them so long? This is important!

Cyborg continued to watch his friend, uncertain about what was even happening. He considered asking what was going on, but he thought it better to wait for the other Titans to arrive. Beast Boy was now bouncing with agitation, "Where are they?!" He was losing his temper, something that happened often these days.

"Calm down BB, they are coming." Beast Boy stopped in his tracks and glared at Cyborg. Cyborg could feel the anger glowing off of him and he was really becoming concerned for his friend. What could possibly have him this worked up? Just when Beast Boy started to make a move towards Cyborg, Starfire walked in. She looked exhausted, dark circles hung under her eyes and her body drooped from fatigue. Her hair stood up in all directions and her clothes were wrinkled, indicating that she had fallen asleep in her uniform.

"What is wrong? Is there the danger?" Her voice was alert, despite her tired appearance. Beast Boy glowered at her, angry that she had taken so long, but also relieved that she was finally here. Her face turned to a look of confusion; she did not understand why Beast Boy looked at her with such anger.

"Just take a seat Star," Cyborg sighed, his voice resigned. He didn't feel like explaining Beast Boy's behavior, not that he could if he tried. She flew over to the couch and landed softly on the middle cushion, eager to see what was going on. She looked from Beast Boy, who was pacing back and forth, to Cyborg, who just shrugged at her. After a few moments of silence, the doors slid open again, this time Raven walking in. She strolled in calmly, knowing that there was no imminent danger. Beast Boy looked at her, a twinge of bitterness hitting him at the sight of her. She sat down silently next to Starfire, crossing her legs and folding her hands in her lap.

Beast Boy glared at her a moment longer before deciding to start. "Took you long enough," he mumbled, voice embittered. Raven rolled her eyes, already sick of Beast Boy's complaining. Cyborg walked over to the couch and joined the two girls. He decided that it would be best to just let Beast Boy have to floor. He didn't want to provoke him further.

"Now that we are all finally here, I have something important to tell you." Beast Boy took a deep breath, preparing himself. All of the Titans, save Raven, looked at him with curiosity. "I think that I found Robin," he whispered, his anger subsiding. There was a silence that followed his statement, which he thoroughly expected. He stood there with anticipation, waiting for someone to say something. Raven stood up and started walking towards the kitchen, still remaining silent. "Where do you think you are going?!" Beast Boy shouted after her. He couldn't believe she was just walking away, she was so stone hearted. She hadn't even heard what he had to say yet; she didn't even given him a chance.

"I am making tea," she replied, her voice cool. Cyborg looked back at her, knowing exactly what she was thinking. Starfire sat up straight next to him, her face perking up. Cyborg hated how excited she got every time they thought they had a lead, because it just broke her heart every time that it led nowhere. It was unfair to her and quite frankly, he was angry at Beast Boy for doing it to her again.

"Please, tell me, friend Beast Boy. How is it that you think you have found Robin?" Her voice was eager and her expression was full of excitement.

"I will tell you when we are_ all _here listening," Beast Boy replied, obviously aiming his voice towards the kitchen. Raven walked back over, a cup of herbal tea in her hand, and sat down on the couch with a sigh. She once again crossed her legs, her demeanor uncaring. "Okay, so I was surfing the internet when I saw this news report about some guy that got killed in New York," he paused and looked around at the group, "and I think it was Robin that did it." He didn't sound very convincing; in fact he wasn't even sure that he believed it himself. Now that he was saying it out loud, it sounded ridiculous. He realized that it would be more difficult to convince them than he had initially thought.

"Look, Beast Boy, I don't see what that has to do with Robin. I mean, just because some guy got murdered…." Cyborg's voice was cautious; he was trying his best to not set Beast Boy off. Beast Boy looked at Cyborg eagerly and raised his eyebrows. "I mean, people get killed all the time, BB…"

"Just hear me out! Please!" He pleaded, becoming desperate. Cyborg looked at him a moment longer, he could feel Starfire bouncing with excitement next to him, and decided to just hear him out for her sake. Beast Boy walked towards the computer and started typing away. Raven shifted her weight, fed up with Beast Boy's presentation already. Cyborg looked at her and could see it in her expression; he gave her a look, asking her to just let him continue. She just turned her head forward and sipped her tea.  
After several minutes of typing, a news article popped up onto the screen so that everyone could see it. Beast Boy turned around, indicating towards the screen. "Look!" He pointed towards the picture in the far right corner. "You see that! They found those in the dumpster behind the building where the guy was murdered!" He continued to point at the picture, imploring them to understand what he was saying. Cyborg's expression was skeptical as he looked at the article and Starfire slumped back onto the couch, disappointment washing over her.

"BB, they found clothes in a dumpster, so what?" Cyborg was becoming worried for his friend; Beast Boy was getting desperate now, finding clues about Robin in places that made no sense. Raven stood up, preparing to leave.

"NO! Don't leave! Look!" He pointed once again, "Look! The clothes! Black jeans and an ORANGE shirt!" He continued pointing, begging them to see it. Raven stood still, looking at the screen with blank eyes. "Orange is Slade's color! Orange and black, you see?! It was Robin!" Raven sighed, she almost pitied Beast Boy.

"They are just clothes Beast Boy. You always do this and quite frankly, I am sick of it. You get Starfire's hopes up, just to let her down. It is not nice, Beast Boy. Face it, Robin is gone and we are never going to get him back." Raven was completely serious, staring at Beast Boy with an empty expression. Beast Boy breathed heavily, looking around the room at everyone. Starfire was looking down at her lap, her expression defeated, and Cyborg was standing up, shaking his head. Beast Boy turned back to face Raven, his face livid.

"Just because you have given up doesn't mean that we have! If you don't care enough to look for Robin, then maybe you should just…just… _leave_!" Raven looked at him, her expression impassive. Cyborg could feel this going sour fast. He understood both of their points of view, but didn't want to provoke either of them further by saying anything. Beast Boy continued to glower at her, waiting for her response.

"Fine," Raven replied. She turned around and walked out of the room, the doors sliding shut behind her. Cyborg turned to go after her, but decided against it. He had to talk Beast Boy out of this before he went for Raven. Starfire just sat on the couch, her face buried in her hands. Beast Boy looked at Cyborg in disbelief. He could not believe how rude Raven was being, well actually he could. She had given up, but he hadn't, and he was on to something this time. He was sure of it!

"Why are you on her side?! This could be Robin! We know he is working for Slade and then this guy gets killed and they find those clothes in the dumpster, those are Slade's colors!" he shouted.

"That doesn't mean its Robin, BB. I think you just need some sleep." Beast Boy was about to say something, but Cyborg interrupted him, "I get ya BB, we all miss Robin, but we are all very tired. You don't need to take it out on us." Cyborg wanted this day to be over. He knew that Beast Boy just needed some rest, he had been up for hours searching through news articles online and it was obviously taking a toll on his mental health.

"Why am I the only one that is still looking for him?! Do none of you care anymore?!" Beast Boy was on the verge of tears, his anger mixing with despair. He felt like no one cared about Robin anymore, that no one cared enough to continue looking for him. It was obvious; the team had been falling apart without him. They lost half of their battles; in fact, they didn't even bother to answer most distress calls anymore. Beast Boy and Raven fought constantly, Starfire cried almost every day, and Cyborg was just desperately trying to keep the team together for Robin's sake. Cyborg knew that if there were no Titans anymore, then no one would be looking for Robin, and he didn't want that to happen. Robin deserved better than that.

"Look, if you go to bed and get some rest, I promise that I will look into it in the morning," Cyborg reassured. This seemed to work as Beast Boy calmed a little. He hoped that Beast Boy would be satisfied enough after tomorrow to drop it. Cyborg walked towards the doors, ready to get some rest, before stopping and looking back. "You aren't the only one looking for him. I do every day, I promise that I will never give up, BB. I promise." With that said, Cyborg walked out, leaving Beast Boy and Starfire alone.

Beast Boy suddenly felt tired, he only hoped that Cyborg could see what he was seeing tomorrow after having some sleep. Starfire suddenly stood up, tears swelling in her eyes. "Star," Beast Boy said with sympathy. He did feel bad for doing that to her, he knew that she missed Robin more than anyone. She walked out of the room, ignoring Beast Boy's remark, and headed towards her bedroom. He watched her leave, feeling ashamed. He shouldn't have called her to the meeting. In fact he shouldn't have called a meeting, he should have just told Cyborg. He would have understood better if Raven hadn't been so skeptical the whole time. She was never of any use; he didn't know why he even invited her in the first place. With that last thought he left, ready to get some sleep and hopefully clear his head.

-New York-

Robin ended up in his room, having decided against eating and having finished his nightly wandering. He walked into the bathroom that adjoined his room, ready to end the day. He turned the shower on and stripped out of his uniform. He intended upon taking a short shower so that he could get to bed earlier, but the hot water just felt too nice. There were not many things that he enjoyed anymore, but he still found pleasure in his showers. He liked how the hot water burned his skin, forcing him to feel. He didn't feel much anymore, he was always numb. It helped him cope better, yes, but sometimes he wished he could feel again, just for an hour or two, so that he could feel like he was human.

After having his fill, he turned off the water and stepped onto the cold tile. He dried himself off with a towel and walked over to the sink. He started to comb his hair, looking at his reflection in the mirror. He examined his face, looking everywhere before landing on his eyes, those once vibrant blue eyes, now so empty and cold. They looked so foreign, like they weren't his. He didn't recognize himself; he had stopped seeing himself in the mirror a long time ago. He hated what he saw now; the young boy who looked back at him was a cold blooded killer, Slade's apprentice, Slade's _property…_ Suddenly, the mirror shattered and shards of glass flew everywhere.

Robin looked down at his fist, now covered in blood, and flexed it. Fragments of glass were embedded in his skin. He looked back up at the mirror where several large pieces of glass remained intact, distorting his image. He sighed and turned on the faucet, running his hand under the water before starting the task of pulling the pieces of glass out of his hand.

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Please be so kind as to leave a review! I hope the story isn't going too slow for you, the next chapter will explain more about how Robin became Slade's apprentice.


	3. A Night Out On The Town

-The disclaimer is in Chapter One-

Once again, please review and thank you for reading!

* * *

-Nearly two years ago-

It was a hot night in Jump City, the sun had gone down and the air had not yet cooled. People all around the city were starting to come out, ready to relax and enjoy themselves with a night out on the town. Not everyone was relaxing however; a group of five teenagers were in the middle of the city with work on the mind.

"Argh! Robin, Starfire, he is heading east! I repeat, he is heading east!" Cyborg yelled into his communicator. Raven was already flying after the criminal in question, maintaining visual contact the whole time. She was not prepared to lose him again.

"On it!" Robin replied while running to his motorcycle. He and Starfire had gotten separated from the team during the chase and were a few blocks away from the rest of them. Cyborg ran down the street, advancing towards a figure sprawled across the ground. He leaned down and grabbed the young teen's shoulders, shaking him and trying to wake him.

"Come on BB, wake up!" He shouted; he needed him to get up so that they could join the rest of the team in pursuit. Beast Boy remained lifeless and Cyborg lifted him up onto his shoulders, carrying him across the street to the T-car. He placed Beast Boy in the back and sped away, heading east to meet up with the rest of the Titans.

Raven could hear the rumble of the R cycle behind her and was soon after joined by Starfire. The two flew side by side while Robin rode underneath them on the street. The perpetrator was a short distance ahead of them, zooming in and out of traffic on his own motorcycle. Starfire sped up, flying ahead of Raven, and threw starbolts at the bike. She was lowering her altitude when a large red object flew out from behind the bike and wrapped around her, causing her to spiral out of control. She fell to the ground with a clash and tumbled backwards. Robin maneuvered around her, barely missing her with his bike.

Raven and Robin continued the pursuit, maintaining close distance the entire time. After chasing the offender for a few more blocks, the T-car flew out from a nearby street, cutting off Robin and joining the chase.

"Ughhhh, man. What happened?" Beast Boy moaned, clutching his head. He was lying in the back of the car and was beginning to feel very nauseous. Cyborg looked back for a moment, making sure that he was okay.

"You hit your head, we are in pursuit," Cyborg replied. He didn't want to take his focus off of the chase by elaborating. Beast Boy just moaned in reply and curled up into a ball, continuing to clutch his head. Raven was picking up speed, now approaching the motorcycle. She wanted to lift the ground up in front of the motorcycle, but doing so on a busy street might harm other motorists and innocent bystanders. So, she settled upon trying to hold the motorcycle itself back, though at that speed, it would be difficult.

Cyborg could see her preparing for attack through his windshield and moved over to the right lane, giving her room. Robin rounded around the T-car and drove ahead of it, maintaining distance between Raven and him. Raven engulfed the motorcycle in black magic and pulled with all of her might, causing the tires to screech. The driver gassed the bike, trying to go faster to break the enchantment. He turned around to throw something at her, but stopped as he heard a loud _pop_. The bike stopped abruptly and flipped over, causing him to fly out of his seat and skid across the road. Robin immediately stopped his bike and ran over to the wreckage.

The T-car slid to a halt and Cyborg came running out of the car, Beast Boy following behind him at a slower pace. Soon Starfire flew over, seeing the small cloud of smoke coming from the damaged bike. The offender pushed himself off the ground and stood up, looking at the Titans.

"Give it up, Red X" Robin shouted, standing in a defensive stance. He knew that Red X would not come easily and kept his guard up. Starfire's hands began to glow and Cyborg had his cannon aimed at Red X.

"Now kid, what would be the fun in that?" Red X retorted. He threw several large X's at the Titans, each of them exploding on the ground in front of them. The Titans began to attack, each taking their turn at attempting to disarm Red X and none getting closer to doing so. Red X really had seemed to have improved in combat over the past year while he was lying low.

He ran down the street, Raven and Starfire hot on his heels. Cyborg and Beast Boy were running after him, Beast Boy in the form of a cheetah. Robin was running towards his bike, knowing that it would be faster in the long run if he went back for it. Red X skidded to a stop and flew two X's at the girls behind him, one hitting Raven and sending her flying backwards, and the other narrowly missing Starfire. She flew up above him and bombarded him with a horde of starbolts. Cyborg and Beast Boy caught up to Raven and started to help her get out of the trap.

Robin rode up, seeing the all-out battle going on between Starfire and Red X, and ran over to help. He began throwing explosives and fog bombs at Red X, attempting to blind him. Cyborg nodded to Beast Boy, who in turn ran over to help with the battle. Raven was finally out of the trap when her alarm went off, flashing red. Just a moment later, Cyborg's arm lit up and started beeping. Over at the battle scene, Starfire's pendant was flashing red and Robin's communicator was beeping. The Titans all looked around at each other, slightly confused and momentarily caught off guard.

In the moment of confusion, Red X threw several flash bombs at Starfire and Robin, and then ran into the opposite direction. Starfire immediately flew after him, not having been disarmed by the bombs. Cyborg called Robin over with a motion of his arm as Beast Boy flew after Starfire and Red X in the form of a pterodactyl.

"Robin, the Tower's alarm has gone off. It says there is an intrusion," Cyborg said. He didn't know what to make of it, the motion sensors and heat sensors indicated that there was no one there, but the alarm was going off. "I don't know if there is a break in, but someone should go check on the Tower." He wanted to be sure that everything was alright, better safe than sorry.

"I'll go, you stay here and help the others," Robin said. He hated leaving in the middle of a chase, but the Tower did need to be checked. Raven was sitting on the ground next to them, listening intently. In the distance, the sounds of battle could be heard and flashes of green light lit up the sky.

"I will go with you," Raven said. Even though Cyborg wasn't certain what was wrong, it was best to be cautious. It wouldn't be safe for Robin to go alone. He looked at her for a moment, considering.

"Fine, but Cyborg, you need to stay and help the others with Red X." he said, his tone absolute. Cyborg nodded and ran off towards the battle. Robin pulled Raven up by her hand and ran towards his bike. The two headed towards the Tower, Raven flying above Robin's speeding bike.

...

After about ten minutes of breaking every speeding law ever, Robin and Raven arrived at Titans tower. He stepped off his bike and walked towards the front door, Raven landing behind him and following. The Tower was dark and silent; there were no signs of life whatsoever. The two cautiously walked through the front doors. The room was flashing with red lights, the alarm now silent. Robin walked to the alarm's keypad and punched in a code, turning the red lights off.

The two looked around the room before walking to the elevator. "Let's check the entire Tower, just to be sure," Raven said. It didn't seem like anything was wrong, but that was perhaps what made her want to check it out the most. Robin nodded in agreement and the two set off, checking each floor before arriving to the main ops room. The two split, each examining one side of the room before reconvening in the middle.

"Well, it looks like nothing is here, must have been an error." Robin knew that their security system was top of the line, but even the best security systems were prone to mistakes. Raven looked around the room, still slightly suspicious.

"Yeah, I suppose." There was nothing in the tower, or they would have seen it. Yet, she couldn't help but feel like something was wrong. Her instincts told her that the alarm didn't go off by accident, but her logic told her that they had checked the tower and found nothing.  
"Robin to Cyborg, Robin to Cyborg. There is nothing here, we checked the entire Tower and everything is clear. Have you apprehended Red X?" Robin was talking into his communicator, looking at Cyborg's face. An explosion sounded and a flash of light flourished in the background behind Cyborg.

"We are still fighting him. We managed to corner him on 5th, but he is putting up a good fight." Cyborg replied; he looked back at the fight behind him. "I have to go, they need my help." Cyborg looked at Robin, ready to cut off the call.

"Okay, Raven and I will be there as soon as we can," Robin replied. The call cut off and Robin put away his communicator. He was walking towards the door when Raven's hand gripped his arm, stopping him. "Raven, we have to go, they need us." Robin said, he didn't have time to dawdle and they had already wasted time coming to the Tower on a faulty alarm.

"I don't know Robin, something doesn't feel right." Raven said; she always trusted her instincts, no matter what her logic told her. Robin looked at her, his face inquisitive.

"We checked the whole tower Raven, there is nothing here." Robin was sure that they had combed the entire tower, but he had learned to trust Raven's instincts. She was normally right when it came to these things.

"I know, but I just sense that something is off. I think we should check again." Robin could not believe this. As much as he trusted Raven, his team needed him. He looked at her face; she was completely serious, she really seemed to think that something was wrong. He sighed and walked towards the computer.

"You go ahead; I am going to reset the alarm. Try to make it quick so that we can get back to the others." Robin logged into the mainframe and started resetting the alarm, making sure that it was completely functional this time. He could hear the doors slide shut behind him and hoped that Raven was moving quickly. He told Cyborg that he would be there soon and he didn't intend on leaving him hanging.

He exited through the doors on the right, going in a different direction than Raven. They would cover more ground that way. He wandered the halls, checking every room on the way. After about twenty minutes of checking he arrived back at the ops room. He looked around once again, finding it empty. Raven must have finished her sweep and gone down a floor. He was about to follow suit when he saw something out of the corner of his eye. A shadow moved in the hallway that he had first entered, but it was so quick that he wasn't even sure if he saw it.

He approached the hallway guardedly and peeked into it. It was dark, too dark to see anything. He walked into it, leaving the lights off, and continued down, listening intently for any sound of movement. He walked for several minutes before stopping and getting ready to turn around and head back. He heard a door lightly close in the hallway to his right and he turned around, walking warily towards the sound. He peeked around the corner, once again seeing nothing. There were several doors down the hallway, one being the door to his room. He was about to investigate when he heard the sounds of voices in the distance.

"Dude, why is it so dark in here? Didn't they turn on the lights when they got here?" Beast Boy's voice boomed across the room and Robin came running in from the hallway. All the Titans, except for Raven, were standing near the door, looking exhausted. Starfire flew over to Robin, her skirt burnt and frayed from battle.

"Thank goodness, Robin, you are alright?" she asked, relief in her voice. Robin looked at her quizzically, not understanding what she meant. He was about to ask when Cyborg interrupted.

"You said that you were going to meet up with us forty five minutes ago. When you didn't show up, we assumed that something was wrong," Cyborg explained, seeing Robin's look of confusion. Robin had completely forgotten to call Cyborg to inform him that they were doing another sweep. Beast Boy walked over to the switch and turned on the lights, causing everyone to look back at him in alarm.

The doors once again slid open and Raven walked in, her eyes looking over each her team members before landing on Robin. "I checked all the floors again." Robin looked at her expectantly, his eyebrows raised in question. "Nothing," she stated, her voice monotonous. She didn't understand what was wrong; she could feel something, but what? They had checked the entire tower, _twice. _She was worried and her stomach was uneasy because of it. She had never been wrong about this kind of thing before, so why now? All of the Titans were looking at her, nobody understanding exactly what she meant by it except for Robin. "I assume that you caught Red X?" she asked, turning her attention to Cyborg.

Beast Boy shifted his weight and Starfire looked away. "No, we were still in pursuit and when we realized how long it had been since you called us, we decided to come and check on you rather than continue." Cyborg was worried about how Robin would take this; he knew how Robin could get when a perp got away. "We just didn't want to be out chasing him if something was happening to you guys…" he explained. Rather than freaking out as Cyborg expected him to, Robin looked at Raven, completely ignoring the fact that they let a criminal get away.  
"I saw something, in the hallways. I don't know what it was, but we need to check this floor again." Raven looked at him, her expression somber. She knew that something wasn't right; this was not an average break in.

"Wait, so there_ is_ something here?" Cyborg asked. Robin nodded at him, not wanting to elaborate. They only had so much time before it moved. In fact, it probably already had. Raven pointed towards the hallway that Robin came from and raised her eyebrows. Robin nodded towards her and started walking in the direction that she was pointing.

They entered the hallway, Robin in the lead with Raven close behind, Beast Boy and Starfire walking side by side, and Cyborg heading the back with his cannon ready. They walked through the halls, travelling towards the place where Robin had heard the sound.

"Seriously though dude, why are none of the lights on?" Beast Boy whispered; the Titans all ignored him. Robin knew that whatever made the sound had probably moved by now, but it was their only lead. Robin approached the hallway and Starfire illuminated it with a green glow. The five teens were examining the corridor when the alarm suddenly went off, causing Beast Boy to jump. The hallway flashed red and a beeping resounded through the tower. All of the Titans looked around in alarm, not knowing what to make of it.

"Cyborg, Beast Boy, Raven, go back to the ops room and see what is going on with the alarm. Check the security cameras and call me when you get there." Robin thought it best to send the larger group there as it was the more potentially dangerous situation. Villains always attacked the main ops room.

"No Robin, you need me here. I am the empath; I will be more useful searching with you." Raven's tone was absolute. She did have a point, if there was anyone that would be useful in finding an intruder, it was her.

"Alright, Starfire, you go with Cyborg and Beast Boy. Don't forget to call me when you get there, I want to know what is going on with the alarm." Robin gave them one last look before turning around and continuing down the hallway, Raven floating behind him. Cyborg and Beast Boy ran in the opposite direction, heading towards the ops room. Starfire watched Robin run into the darkness, only turning around to catch up with her team mates after she could no longer see him.

...

Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Starfire arrived in the main ops room. The lights were off and the room was lit with an eerie red from the alarm lights. The only sound was that of their breathing and the alarm sounding.

"Dude, I so turned on the lights when we got here," Beast Boy whispered, his voice quivering. Cyborg ran over to the computer and shut off the sound, but he couldn't seem to get the flashing lights to turn off. He looked over the security footage of the main ops room. It showed them coming in and talking, then walking into the hallway, nothing… nothing… nothing….the alarm going off. He didn't understand; none of the doors or windows was opened, what was setting off the alarm?

The doors slid open and all three teenagers turned around, their hearts pounding in their chests. Nothing and no one was there. All they could see beyond the doors was an empty hallway filled with darkness. A faint thudding started to echo through the room, as if a small drum was beating. The Titans looked at each other, equally confused expressions on their faces. The thudding stopped, making all the teens freeze on the spot in anticipation. Cyborg aimed his cannon at the door and Starfire's hands lit up. Beast Boy was too much in shock to think about transforming at the moment.

A light beeping could be heard and a small red light blinked in the doorway. It was different from the red alarm lights on the roof and flashed at a faster frequency. The Titans remained rooted to the spot, staring at the light and listening to the beeping. They were preparing for the worst. The beeping became faster and faster until it stopped and then, _BOOM. _A cloud of smoke followed the small explosion and filled the front half of the room. Cyborg ran towards the smoke, shooting his cannon in the direction of the door, and Beast Boy transformed into a ram, running in after him. Out of the smoke came dozens and dozens of Sladebots.

This came as a surprise to the three, as Slade had been missing from Jump for over a year now, his only sighting being by Beast Boy at an abandoned carnival many months ago. Starfire flew into the crowd of Sladebots and started bombarding them with starbolts. Cyborg was shooting, kicking, and punching as many bots as possible, but the numbers were overwhelming. Beast Boy was transforming back and forth between different large and dangerous animals, never seeming to find the right one.

...

Across the tower, Robin and Raven were searching for the cause of the alarms. They had heard a small bang, but when they went to go investigate, a shadow flew by, distracting them. They knew that something must be happening, the others hadn't called and the bang sounded similar to a small explosion, but they had to find out what was lurking in the hallways. They had followed it in a circle for twenty minutes, consistently losing and finding it again. The sounds of fighting were carrying through the halls, but it was so faint that they couldn't tell what was going on.

"If we don't find it soon, I say we head back to the ops room and help the others with whatever they are fighting," Raven said.

"Yeah, I agr-", Robin began, before being cut off by the same sound he heard before, the muffled sound of a door closing. Upon looking around, Robin noticed that they were in the same spot that he had heard it before. He looked down the adjacent hallway at his bedroom door. He glanced at Raven and motioned for her to follow him.

They checked several rooms thoroughly before arriving at Robin's door. He motioned towards it, telling Raven that he was going to open it. She nodded and her hands began to glow black. The door swung open and Robin looked around, still standing in the doorway. The two continued in and combed the room, not missing a single crevice. Robin sighed out of frustration after coming up empty handed. What the hell was going on?!

Raven could feel that something was off, very off. She walked back into the hallway and stood in front of the door, looking up and down the hall; she was becoming increasingly worried about the situation. Robin was about to follow her out when she was thrown backwards, a small yelp escaping her lips. He ran to the door, but it slammed shut in front of him. He started to bang on the door, trying to break it down, but to no avail. The door had been made to keep out intruders, so it wouldn't be broken down easily.

Raven sat up, rubbing her forehead with her hand and looking around. She could see a figure standing at the end of the hall, but couldn't make it out. She stood up and shot black magic at it, chanting her mantra. It moved out of the way and ran at her, forcing her to run backwards. She stumbled on an object and fell to the ground, breaking her fall with her hands. The figure walked up to her and picked her up by the neck. She started clawing at it, trying to make it let go. She even tried to use her magic, but she couldn't concentrate properly with the lack of oxygen. It was too strong and she was choking. Unconsciousness started to consume her, enticing her with the promise of sleep. She opened her eyes, finally getting a good look at the figure, and gasped. It threw her against the wall, knocking her out cold. Her body slumped to the ground and the figure turned around, approaching Robin's door.

...

In the main ops room, the three Titans were still fighting off Sladebots. For every ten they defeated, twenty more came to take their place. They were losing, badly. They were being forced to retreat to the very back of the room, completely drained from all of the fighting. They didn't know how much more they could take before they passed out or were captured. Beast Boy was fighting eight bots at once and getting reamed. Starfire could make out his form ahead of her while she was fighting off her own bots; she could tell that he could only take so much more damage. She had turned to attack a group of bots that approached her from the side when suddenly, a large object flew past her head and slammed against the window, nearly shattering it.

Cyborg ran past her, looking panicked, and started yelling. She couldn't hear what he was saying; it was just a blur of words. Sladebots followed him and started to attack, beating him down. A group of five bots jumped onto Starfire, trying to force her to the ground. She had managed to shove them off at the last second and just when she thought that she couldn't take any more, they started to retreat. They had stopped attacking completely and were walking out into the hallway towards the elevator. She fell to the ground, completely worn. Why they were retreating, she didn't know, but she was too tired to care at the moment. She was in shock; everything was blurry, her vision, her hearing, everything.

She could hear a voice hysterically yelling, but she couldn't make out the words. Soon, the Slade bots had completely cleared the room, leaving it empty aside from the three Titans. After a few minutes, her hearing became clearer. "Come on BB, wake up! Get up man! BB!" She turned around, ready to collapse, and could see Cyborg leaning over a limp figure. "Come on BB! GET UP!" She looked at Beast Boy, lying on the floor underneath a cracked window, his head bleeding and his clothes torn to shreds. She wanted to get up and go over to him, she wanted to help Cyborg wake him, and she wanted to make sure he was okay, but she couldn't. She couldn't even think straight, she was so beyond in shock. So she sat there on her knees, watching Cyborg frantically try to wake up Beast Boy and listening to a light beeping sound in the distance.

...

Robin was pounding on the door; he had heard a loud thud against the wall and then total silence, the sounds of battle in the distance had completely stopped. "Raven! Are you okay? RAVEN?!" Robin's voice was frenzied. He had lost control of the situation, he had leaded his team into a trap and now they were all in peril because of it. Because of _him_… He didn't even know what was going on with the others; for all he knew, they could be getting slaughtered.  
He ran to the back of the room, preparing to ram the door, when he heard a loud click followed by a hiss. He looked around the room for the source of the sound, but couldn't see a thing. He ran to the light switch, flicking it up and down a few times before realizing that the lights were not working; except for the alarm lights in the hallways. He started pacing frantically in his room, trying to think of his next move and how he was going to get out of his room to help his team mates.

He was so tired. He had been chasing Red X all day and walking through the tower all night. He hadn't gotten much sleep the night before either. Starfire wanted to stay up late and spend some time with him, which of course he didn't mind, but now he was regretting it. As he paced, he could feel his breathing beginning to slow; everything around him was becoming sluggish and starting to blur. He couldn't think straight, he was _so_ exhausted. He started to rub his eyes, trying to wake himself up.

He stopped pacing and sat down in his desk chair, deciding to rest his body for a moment. He couldn't fall asleep now; he had to save his friends! What was wrong with him! How could he possibly be falling asleep?! He yawned and his eyes began to droop. The room was becoming darker than it already was and he could hear a humming in his ears. He stood up and almost tumbled over from how weak his muscles were becoming, forcing him to grab onto the desk for support. He didn't understand why everything was so foggy, why he was so drowsy. He was trying to think back and remembered that sound. The _hiss!_ His legs began to shake from supporting his weight as he fought the urge to pass out.

He tried to move his leg, wanting to walk to the door, but it began to shake uncontrollably and eventually collapsed. He was now on his knees, clutching the desk and trying to pull himself back up with his forearms. His breathing was heavily and his legs were shaking violently. What was going on? Who was attacking them and _winning?!_

The door slid open and Robin heard a large _**BOOM**_. The entire room shook, causing him to crumple to the floor and hit his head on the edge of the desk. The room continued to shake lightly and Robin's ears began to ring from the loud noise. He was breathing deeply, desperately trying to cling to his consciousness as the darkness started to close in on him. All he could think of were his team mates, Starfire, fighting off attackers while he lay on the ground falling asleep. The last thing that he saw before slipping into oblivion was a pair of steel toed boots standing near his head, illuminated by the flashing red light.

So it was on that night, on the peaceful shores of Jump City, that an enormous cloud of smoke could be seen billowing out from the top of Titans Tower, where the main ops room would normally be located.

* * *

Thank you for reading and please review. I want to hear what you think and what you would maybe like to see in the future, I aim to please! Plus, if there is anything about my writing style/format that you would change, feel free to tell me, _nicely._


	4. One Step Closer

-The disclaimer is in Chapter One-

Please review! I love reading reviews! Thank you for continuing to read my story!

* * *

It was a beautiful, crisp summer morning. The sun had risen several hours before and was now high in the sky, reflecting off of the waters that surrounded Titans Tower. Birds were chirping outside and the city was now in full swing, people having started their days. The Tower was silent, the only sounds coming from the occasional creak that the building produced.

A young woman walked through the large doors into the main room and headed towards the kitchen, ready to start her day. She had already been reading for the past two hours, but she didn't consider her day started until she had her morning cup of tea. She walked over to the stove and placed a kettle full of water over a burner. She looked up at the clock on the microwave and was shocked to see that it was already eleven. She was always in the kitchen by ten, perhaps she had read a little bit longer than she had initially thought.

Across the room, another young adult was sitting at a computer, reading a composite of several articles. He could hear the sound of cabinets being opened and closed, but didn't turn to see who was in the room with him, he was too engrossed in his research. The woman poured the water into a mug and walked over to the couch, a book in her hand. She sat cross legged with the book spread out on her lap and swirled the spoon in her mug as she began to read.

The room remained like this for another hour, Cyborg sitting at the computer and Raven sitting on the couch. Every so often, the whoosh of a page being turned or the clacking of the computer keyboard could be heard. Both of them were too immersed in their activities to look up or acknowledge each other. This was often how mornings went for the Titans, no one speaking to each other and everyone off doing their own thing. Sometimes Beast Boy and Cyborg would play a video game, but it wasn't the same. Both of them knew that they were doing it just to cheer each other up, not that it ever really worked. They just needed to get their minds off of the situation, even if it was for a few minutes.

The doors slid open and a now more rested Starfire walked in, her hair still matted and flying everywhere. She did however change her clothes. Nobody looked up as she walked in and she sighed, walking into the kitchen. She didn't like cooking much anymore, so she just threw some bread into the toaster, no longer caring what she ate.

After eating her un-buttered toast in silence, Starfire walked over to Cyborg, wanting some form of friendly contact. She was getting so lonely and depressed. She stood next to him, looking curiously over his shoulder at the computer monitor. Cyborg clicked out of something, leaving the computer on the desktop screensaver. He turned and faced Starfire, a small smile on his face.

"What's up Star?" he asked, his tone friendly. She looked at him, her face full of innocence and naivety. She held her hands behind her back and rocked back and forth on her feet.

"What is it that you are looking at on the computer?" she asked, her voice sweet and curious. He scratched the back of his head and looked down.

"Um, I was just browsing the web, you know, random stuff." He looked back up at her face, hoping that she would leave it at that.

"Oh," she sighed. She was so trusting, it made Cyborg feel bad just thinking about it. "I guess I will leave you to the browsing of the web then." She looked at him hesitantly, hoping that he might stop her and ask her if she would like to do something. After a few moments of silence she turned around and trudged out of the room, her body slumping. Cyborg felt really bad, he knew that she could really use a friend right now, but he was too busy. He turned back to the computer and pulled up the webpage he was looking at before, re-reading a certain passage in it.

"What were you really looking at on the computer?" Raven asked, still looking down at her book. She could spot Cyborg's lies from a mile away, he was not a natural. She had a feeling that she knew why he had lied to Starfire; he always did so when he was searching for Robin. Cyborg stopped reading and took a deep breath.

"I am looking into that lead in New York," he sighed. Raven looked up, her face disbelieving.

"What, that thing that Beast Boy was going on about? That was asinine. You can't be serious." Her voice was impassive as usual, but one could hear a hint of condescension behind it. Cyborg exhaled, he knew how it sounded. He didn't believe it himself, but he had to give it a chance.

"Look, I promised Beast Boy that I would look into it. It was the only thing that would calm him down and get him to drop it. Plus, I have found some interesting things about the murders." Raven raised her eyebrows skeptically at him. She could not believe that he was falling for this pathetic excuse for a story. Beast Boy really did know how to stir up trouble. Seeing the look she was giving him, he decided to explain himself. "I am not saying that it is connected in any way to Robin, I am just saying that I found some interesting stuff on the guys."

Raven sighed; she came to the main room for peace, not this. She always assumed that she wouldn't have to put up with this with Cyborg. Was there no one that she could just sit in silence with? Starfire always cried and brought up Robin and Beast Boy was just an agitating presence to be near. Though, Cyborg _had_ always been more realistic with their searches for Robin, so she decided to just hear what he had to say. He could at least be reasoned with, unlike someone else. "Go ahead," she sighed.

"Well, you see, one of the guys who were murdered was known on the street to work for a major crime boss. From what I have read, he supposedly was in charge of 'keeping the peace', or choosing who was to be taken out of the picture," he paused and thought for a moment. "I don't think that he actually did the assassinations himself, but I know that he was in charge of them. Well at least that is what I believe to be true." He stood still, contemplating about what he had just read.

"What about the other?" she asked. He looked puzzled at the question, not understanding what she was asking. "The other, you said murders, plural."

"Oh, it was just his bodyguard, also known to work for major crime organizations such as drug cartels." He turned around to face the computer again, pulling up the website for the New York Post. Raven continued to watch him, thinking about what he just told her. It was interesting, but most likely not related to Robin in any way. Drug wars happened all the time; it could have been a cartel dispute or a disagreement with the mafia. He turned back towards Raven, his expression thoughtful. "I was thinking, Raven. You know how at the beginning, when Robin first got kidnapped, when we did a lot of research on Slade?" Raven nodded at him. "Well, remember how we learned that he was an assassin for hire. I just thought, maybe it could have been him, getting revenge for not getting paid for a job or something." Seeing the look he gave her, he raised his hands in a gesture of peace. "I am not saying that it is! I am just saying it is a possibility, we can't rule it out completely, you know?"

"So what do you want to do about it?" Raven asked. It was more of a theoretical question as she didn't believe that it was actually Slade. There were tons of assassins out there and who knows if it had even been an assassin acting? It could have been revenge for a previous wrongdoing, it could have been anything.

"I think we should just keep an eye on New York for a while. All I am saying is that we can't rule it out completely. It is at least worth looking into a little bit." Raven looked at him, thinking about all that he had said.

"Fine, but don't go telling Starfire, I don't want her getting her hopes up again. I don't think this has to do with Robin, but you are right, it is worth looking into." With that, she sat back down and continued to read her book, letting everything that Cyborg had said mull over in her head.

-Nearly Two Years Ago-

It was early in the morning and the sun was just coming up, still half concealed on the horizon. It had been several hours since Titans Tower had been attacked and the clouds of smoke had long since dissipated, exposing a massive hole in the top of the tower. Ash covered the ground around the tower, turning the small island a smoky grey. Inside, more ash coated the entire floor in the main ops room, or what was left of it. The only sounds inside the tower were those of objects collapsing and beams falling from the roof.

A soft moan sounded in a hallway far away from the ops room. Ash had managed to float its way through the hallways across the whole top floor and was swirling in the air. A young girl sat up, coughing, and grabbed her head. She felt like she had been hit with a truck. The smell of smoke filled her lungs, much to her distaste. She opened her eyes, trying to focus her vision as the room swirled.

"Ughhhh." She sat for a few more moments and watched the dust twirl in the air, a million tiny specks dancing in the light. Her mind was foggy and she couldn't quite think straight. "What happened?" she asked herself, feeling her headache worsen. She stood up and looked down the hallway, not quite recognizing where exactly in the tower she was. Her vision was still blurry and she couldn't read the nameplate on the door next to her. Where did all this dust come from? She walked down the hallways, curious to see what was going on, yet cautious as she saw the potential danger in the situation. She was in no condition to be using magic.

The further she walked, the thicker the dust became. At one point, it became so dense that she had to shield her mouth with her cloak just so that she could breathe. She continued to follow the thickening dust until she reached the front doors to the ops room. They were half shut and bent beyond repair, it looked like someone had attempted to ram it down or had thrown a small explosive at it. She wedged her way through the doors and walked into the room, or at least, what was left of the room. A giant gaping hole exposed the entire back end of the room and the sun could be seen where a wall should be. Half of the floor was missing as well, allowing her to see down into the floor below.

She walked carefully into the room, making sure that wherever she stepped didn't collapse under her. The kitchen remained mostly intact, though nothing would be functional and half of the appliances were bent, but it was still better than a gaping hole. The floor cut off shortly after the kitchen, leaving very little of the living room still standing. Everything was blackened and the room had a pungent burnt smell to it. She walked around, assessing the damage with disbelief. What the hell happened?!

There was debris everywhere and it was hard for her to tell what was what. Above her, a light was swinging back and forth, hanging narrowly by a wire. She looked down at her feet, which were now covered in ash, and examined the track marks she had left behind her. In the corner, some ash started to shuffle. The girl turned around, thinking that there might be an intruder, when she heard a sneeze. A very _feminine_ sneeze. She ran over to the lump in the corner and brushed the remaining ash off of it.

"Starfire, what happened?" Raven asked, her voice weak and strained. Her usual monotone was gone, but her face remained as stoic as ever. Starfire sat up and winced in pain. She may be a Tameranian, but she was not immune to muscle soreness, especially after a day like yesterday. Raven was bending down over her and looking at her face. She looked up at the empath in confusion before looking around the room, her face full of shock. "Starfire, what happened?" Raven asked, this time emphasizing the question. Starfire looked back up at Raven, her mind trying to catch up.

"W-we were attacked….and then…. I-I…" She continued to look around the room, straining to come up with the words. Her eyes began to swell with tears and Raven stood up. Where were the others? She walked over to the edge of the room and stood next to the hole. The floor below was lit with sunlight and pieces of their couch could be seen scattered across the floor. Raven could make out two forms, both lying completely still next to each other and covered with ash. She took a deep breath and concentrated, trying to summon some portion of her magic. Starfire stood up and started to walk around the room, remaining completely silent. Raven was now levitating down into the room below and had landed softly on the floor. She ran to the two lumps and brushed them off. Cyborg appeared to be okay, but Beast Boy looked horrific. He looked like the product of a slasher film. His head was sticky with dried up blood and his hair was now completely red. His clothes were ripped to shreds and he had gashes everywhere. Anywhere that there wasn't a cut, there was a bruise. Raven couldn't find one inch of his body that did not have an injury on it.

Starfire flew down and landed next to her. She dropped to her knees and started to shake Cyborg, trying to wake him up. Raven was not feeling at all well and did not know how much magic she could use, but decided to attempt to heal Beast Boy's head as it was a serious injury. She sat down and leaned over him, chanting her mantra while her hands glowed white. Cyborg began to stir next to her and she glanced over at him before looking back at Beast Boy.

"Oh, man," he moaned. Starfire watched him silently, her eyes glazed over. "What happened?" he asked. He could hear Raven chanting softly next to him as his mind started to flood with memories. He could see the Sladebots… Beast Boy being thrown against the window… A bright flash followed by a bang… He moaned again, now fully remembering the previous night's events. Raven had stopped chanting and was now sitting on her heels, looking down at Beast Boy. He was so damaged; she never wanted to see him like this, _ever. _

"What exactly happened to you guys? And what happened to the ops room?" Raven knew that it was an explosion, but she wanted further detail. She looked over at Starfire and Cyborg, as both of them were now remembering.

"Sladebots. Hundreds of them. Attacked us in the ops room. We fought them, and then they suddenly just stopped…. I was trying to wake BB when a bomb went off, blew up the entire room… That's all I remember." Cyborg's voice was somber, none of his usual mirth and humor in it. Starfire nodded in conjecture, not having anything to add. She gazed at Beast Boy, looking at his blood soaked head. They were lucky to be alive. Starfire was the closest to the bomb, but since she was Tameranian, it only knocked her unconscious. Cyborg and Beast Boy, had they been any closer, would have died. Luckily, the floor collapsed under them, throwing them to the floor below and keeping them out of the worst of the explosion. "What happened to you?" Cyborg asked.

Raven sat there for a moment, trying to remember. "I think I was attacked by someone, I am not quite sure," she whispered. Why couldn't she remember? She could see images, flashes of a figure and red lights, but that was it. They sat in silence, no one knowing quite what to do or say. Cyborg looked at Beast Boy, watching his chest rise and fall steadily. He was so worried that Beast Boy wouldn't make it last night. He just hoped, begged that he would wake up soon, that he would be okay. Starfire looked up at Raven, a thought finally entering her mind.

"Raven, where is Robin?" she asked. Raven sat there for a moment, trying to think back, and then gasped, her memories now flooding back to her.

...

Robin began to stir, feeling groggy and confused. He could hear something in the distance, but he couldn't make it out. It sounded like someone was out calling to him. He rolled over and tried to wake himself up.

"Robin…" a voice called. It echoed in dead space, it was almost ambient. He listened intently, trying to figure out whose voice was calling him. His other senses started to return and he could feel his legs tingling.

"Robin…" He stretched and started to open his eyes. It was extremely bright and all he could see was stunning white light. Everything was blurred and he began to rub his eyes through the mask. The voice sounded very familiar, he knew it well.

"Starfire?" he groaned. He could hear her; she was calling out to him. He was so relieved to hear her voice; there was no one else in the world that he would rather see more right now. Where was she?

"ROBIN!" the voice yelled. Robin bolted up, alarmed by the sound of the voice. That was definitely not Starfire; it was a man's voice, deep and musky. His eyes began to adjust and Robin looked up, seeing a large figure standing tall over him. He knew that voice; it was a voice that he had never wanted to hear again. His vision focused and Robin could see him, _Slade_.

He jumped up, promptly falling off balance afterwards and grabbing his head. "Don't make any sudden movements. The toxin I used to gas you is still in your system," Slade said, his voice already condescending. Robin looked up at him, anger in his face. He ran towards him and threw a punch, which Slade quickly stopped. Gripping his fist, Slade threw Robin back to the ground. "What did I just say," he demanded.

Robin massaged his hand and looked up at Slade, his face defiant. "Let me go Slade! I don't know what you have planned, but whatever it is, you aren't going to get away with it!" he yelled. Where were the other Titans? He began to look around, but Slade was the only other person in the room. The room was moderately sized and extremely plain. The walls were an asylum white and the floors were a light brown wood. There was a twin bed along the wall to his right and a small dresser and desk to his left. He would go insane being stuck in this room for any more than an hour. "What did you do to my friends?!"

"Ah but you see Robin, I am going to get away with it," Slade retorted, his voice smooth and confident. "This time, you will not be getting away. This time, I will not make any mistakes with you," he declared. His eye was deadly and it gave Robin an uncomfortable feeling. He must have something planned; Robin was just thankful that he couldn't see his face under the mask. As much as he wanted to know who Slade was, he never wanted to see what was under that mask.

"Where are my friends?!" Robin yelled. He needed to be sure that they were okay, the last time he had seen them they had been running into battle, unbeknownst to them. He couldn't live with himself if something happened to them, to _her. _Slade continued to gaze down at Robin, annoyance already washing over him.

"There is no need to yell Robin. Your friends are at the Tower, they should be waking up just about now," he said. He did not intend to kill any of them, so he made sure that none of the Sladebots finished them off. Doing so would just give Robin nothing to lose, which would not be good for Slade's plans. Robin was relieved, but still furious. He didn't even know whether or not to trust Slade's word, though Slade was never known to lie when asked a direct question.

"So what the hell is this? Where am I? What am I doing with _you!_?" he spat. Slade did not like being spoken to in such a manner and slapped Robin hard across the face, leaving a large handprint on his face.

"You will not speak to me in such a manner. Things are not like they were before Robin. I will not put up with you talking back to me this time." At this Robin became concerned. '_This time'_… What did that mean? Robin had a feeling that he knew; he just hoped that he was wrong. "I assume that you are wondering why I kidnapped you." Robin glared at him, wanting to tell him just what he thought of him, but feeling the fresh handprint on his face, thought it best to hold back his tongue. Slade took Robin's silence as a yes.

"You are going to be my apprentice again Robin. Though, like I said, things will be different this time. I will not tolerate any disobedience,_ whatsoever_," he emphasized the last word. Robin could not believe what he was hearing; did Slade not learn his lesson last time? What was his problem?

"The Titans are going to know exactly what you are doing. You can't threaten me with their lives anymore; so I guess your little plan isn't going to work," Robin said, his voice mocking. Slade had come very close to beating the living hell out of Robin right there, but decided against it. He needed Robin awake for the rest of his speech.

"Ah, but Robin, I am not going to threaten your friends' lives this time." Robin looked genuinely confused and caught off guard at the statement, much to Slade's gratification. Slade smirked under his mask, very happy with how things were going.

"So how the hell do you plan on keeping me here? You think I am just going to be your apprentice for fun?!" Slade chuckled darkly and Robin's stomach flipped. What did Slade have planned to keep him here? By the sound of that laugh, it couldn't be good.

"You _are _going to be my apprentice and I will tell you this only once. If you defy me in any way, either by trying to escape or by contacting the Titans, I will kill someone; doesn't matter who. There will be no warnings, so I suggest that you be a good boy and follow orders from the start. I know that you wouldn't want innocent blood on your hands." Robin stared daggers at Slade, how could someone be so sick?! To kill innocent people, just to acquire an apprentice! This man was mentally ill; of course Robin always knew that. He didn't know what to think, was Slade actually serious about this?

"What, so you are going to randomly kill someone every time I try to escape?!" Slade was evil, but not that evil. Was he? Robin had never seen him kill anyone, he had just never thought about it before.

"Not just if you try to escape, but if you defy me in any way. And I assure you, it will not be some random shooting on the street, it will be in cold blood, right in front of you... Do not doubt me," he added. He was quite scary when he talked so casually about murder, it was unsettling, but Robin didn't want to admit that he feared the man. Surely he wouldn't kill innocent people! Robin just gaped at him, not knowing what to say.

Slade smiled, feeling satisfied with how things went. "Good, we start training tomorrow." He turned around and walked to the door. Robin jumped up and abruptly ran after him, he did not want to be trapped in this room. Slade walked through the door and slammed it shut in Robin's face, leaving him to pound on the door for an hour before finally sitting down on the bed to drown in his thoughts.

-Present Day-

It had been several hours since Cyborg and Raven's talk. Raven had retreated to the roof to meditate and Cyborg had looked over the recent news in New York. After finding nothing more of interest, he went to work out in the gym. Just as Raven had her meditation, Cyborg had his work outs as a way to escape. He liked being distracted, even if it was just for an hour. Being able to focus on something positive helped him to cope with the situation. He was in the middle of lifting heavy weights, having finished his cardio earlier, when the doors slid open. A young teen walked into the room and approached him.

Cyborg looked up, straining to hold the weights. Beast Boy was looking down at him expectantly. He took in another breath and lowered the weights with a grunt. He sat up and wiped his forehead with a towel that had been lying on the bench. "What's up, BB?" he asked, although he knew exactly what Beast Boy was here for.

"Did you look into the lead I found?" Cyborg looked at him for a few moments, breathing heavily. "You know? The one in New York?! Don't tell me you already forgot, because you promised!" Beast Boy really wanted Cyborg to believe him and he couldn't do that without at least looking into it.

"No, BB, I didn't forget. I looked into it this morning, just like I said I would," Cyborg reassured. He didn't exactly want to tell Beast Boy about what he found and he certainly didn't want to encourage him. Beast Boy had a way of getting too excited about leads; it wasn't good for the team. Beast Boy raised his eyebrows with anticipation.

"Well? What do you think?" he asked nervously.

"I think that something could be going on in New York," Beast Boy jumped up in excitement and Cyborg raised his hands, indicating for him to stop. "That doesn't mean that it has anything to do with Robin though, so don't go getting your hopes up, BB." Cyborg stood up and walked over to the water cooler. "Now, don't tell Raven that I told you this, but we are going to keep an eye on things in New York. Just as a precaution," he added. He hoped this would satisfy Beast Boy, at least enough to get him to drop it from daily conversation.

"So you _do _think it's Robin!" Beast Boy declared, excitement swelling up in him. Cyborg turned around, a cup of water in his hand.

"I never said that! I only said that we were going to keep an eye out on New York, don't go making a big thing out of this Beast Boy." Cyborg looked down at him, his expression commanding. Beast Boy was just so beyond thrilled that Cyborg was even considering it that he didn't care if they were only "keeping an eye out" on New York. They were one step closer to finding Robin and that's all that mattered.

* * *

Thank you for reading! Hope you are liking the story! I know that I say this too much and that you probably are sick of it, but please review! Thank you!


	5. A Lesson Learned

-The disclaimer is in Chapter One-

Warning: This chapter has a bit of dark content in it... so be warned...

Once again, please review! Thank you!

* * *

Robin walked into the same large room that he had dropped the file off in. It was their "base" room, or so they called it. It was where Robin came to receive missions, plan tactical moves, report things, etc. It was basically their work room, where most of their operations were planned, except for on a few rare occasions. He spent most of his time there and had become very familiar with it; it was practically his second bedroom.

The room was rectangular and very long. Most of the walls were lined with work benches that held various objects, most of them broken weapons or prototypes that Slade was working on. In the center of the room was a large square table with two chairs, one on each end. In front of each chair was a small screen that they could use as a computer. This was where they sat to discuss missions and plans. At the far end of the room was Slade's desk/work table. There were several large filing cabinets that lined the wall next to it, each filled with documents and blueprints. Slade had another "private" office somewhere else in the building, but Robin had never seen it. He learned not to go snooping around Slade's stuff, something that he had gotten punished for a lot at the beginning of his apprenticeship.

Above the desk were three large screens that showed mostly security camera footage, but occasionally showed digital blueprints or footage of their targets. On the far right end of the room was a large metal door with no handle. A keypad and face recognition scanner was the only way to open the door and it only opened for Slade. Through the door was a large room filled with weapons of every kind, from manual weapons such as staffs and blades, to automatic weapons such as guns and explosives. Whenever Robin would go on a mission, Slade would open the room and let him choose his weapons, provided that he approved of his choices.

Robin was supposed to meet Slade in the base room after his training; he trained alone on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. After a year, Slade no longer saw a need to train Robin every day; he could train by himself sufficiently. Of course, Slade still trained him twice a week, just to make sure he was keeping up with his technique. Slade was standing at the head of the table, waiting for Robin's arrival so that they could start the meeting. He needed to debrief Robin on some important plans. Upon seeing Robin, he sat down and placed his hands on the desk. Robin's face was flushed and sweat dripped down his cheek; he must have _just_ come from training. He sat down, his expression passive, and looked at Slade.

"I assume that you were running late and could not shower?" Slade asked, noting Robin's less than presentable appearance. Robin did not reply, but turned his attention to the screen in front of him. Most of the files and documents that Slade showed him were on the computer, he rarely had paper records handed to him. "Let us get started then," Slade said as he began to type on his screen.

"Our first order of business: the assassin. The file that you retrieved for me from Mark Tollera proved useful in the search." Robin thought back to the poor man that he had had the fortune of meeting…_ and killing_… two days ago. "In fact, his bodyguard," he looked down at the screen, searching for the name, "…Bryan Jervaise… was who led me to the answer." Slade scrolled across several documents. "You see, Bryan, like the idiot he was, decided it best to suggest hiring his own sibling to his boss, thus making them easier to track." He sent a file to Robin which appeared on his screen moments later. "Yvette Bouyan," Slade said. Robin looked at the profile for a moment before looking up at Slade.

"A woman?" Robin asked, looking back down at the picture. The woman had a very thin face and thick, long black hair; she was actually quite beautiful.

"A high profile assassin; one who took out our target and one who needs to be taken care of," Slade stated. Robin looked over her stats; she seemed to be very highly trained with weaponry, specifically blades. He looked over the list of her jobs performed and recognized the names of several world leaders who had been assassinated over the past few years. This would not be an easy target. "She is of high priority right now and we cannot move on with our plans with her out there. I am sure that she received word that her brother was murdered and I am certain that she will not be happy." Robin finished reading her profile and looked to Slade.

"So, she and Jervaise are siblings? How is that so?" he asked. They did not share a last name; did she change her name when she became an assassin? Slade looked over at him, his face in amazement from the stupidity of the question.

"Half-brother, they have different fathers and thus different last names. Any more intelligent questions before we continue?" Slade asked, his voice practically dripping with sarcasm. Robin just passed it off, he was used to being spoken down to, it was normal for him. He actually would feel out of place if someone spoke to him kindly.

"Am I going to be taking her out on my own? I see that she is extremely skilled," Robin pointed out. He was good, but so was she. He wasn't certain how long it would take him to kill her.

"We will discuss plans about her assassination tomorrow; right now we need to move on." Slade sent Robin a new document and Robin started reading through it. "As for Victor Wyatte, I have acquired a list of his men. Along with that is the location and blueprints of his hideout. As you should know, it is heavily guarded, but it is nothing that we haven't done before." Robin continued to look over his profile; they had been studying this man for months now.

Victor Wyatte was _the_ major crime boss in the city. He ran all organized crime throughout the city and the state of New York. The drug cartels reported to him, the mafia reported to him, even the city government reported to him. He owned everything and everyone, and that was why Slade wanted him dead. Over the past two years, Robin and Slade had been secretly taking over major cities in every important country across the world. They would start by taking down the drug cartels and picking away at the mafia until they found the leader that controlled it all. Then, they would take him down and take his place.

After replacing the dominate crime boss, they would then run the organized crime quietly from the next city. And so that was their routine, infiltrate, take down, move on. At the moment, Slade was controlling at least seven cities and their surrounding areas. Some cities were easier to gain control of and only took them a few weeks. Others, like New York, took months to finish. It just depended on the strength of the system that each crime boss had created.

"I intend to finish the mission within the next month; I would like to move on to Paris soon. I have received word that it is very weak over there and thus an easy target for us." Slade began swiping through various files on Victor, calculating his next move.

"Do you think that we will be ready within a month?" Robin asked and Slade looked up at him. It was a perfectly good question. They were not exactly as close as they normally would be to begin a take down. Plus, they had the assassin to take care of.

"At the rate we are going, yes. I do realize however, that Yvette set us back in our plans. Since _she_ took out our target, our message was not sent to Victor. As of now, he has no idea that we have been picking off his men. That is why I would like us to meet here every day at seven p.m. sharp. We will work until eleven every night until we are ready to strike. Even on Sundays," he added. Sundays were Robin's day off, though he was limited to what he could do. Slade had reasoned that letting Robin out would make him feel like less of a prisoner, but it just ended up making him feel more like one. During the beginning of his apprenticeship, he was required to stay in their hideout, but as Slade began to trust him, he was allowed to go out. Of course, Slade didn't let him out until he was certain that he had broken him. The moment that he had walked back to the base on his own was when Slade knew that Robin was truly _his._ It was a true moment of victory and he relished it with every fiber of his being.

Robin was given a certain range of distance that he was allowed to go; of course the usual rules applied: no contacting anyone, no escaping, etc. He normally just walked around, but sometimes he would watch people at malls. He didn't know exactly why, but something about watching other people be happy interested him. Of course, when there was a mission that happened to fall on a Sunday, he would lose his day off.

"We will begin the new schedule tomorrow; you will have to move your combat practice back to three and cancel your French studies until further notice." Slade was peering at Robin over his screen, making sure that he was taking note of the change. "I am sending you a new schedule right now." Robin looked over his schedule; he was going to be losing his Sundays for the next month. "Any questions?" Slade asked.

"No," Robin replied, his voice as emotionless as ever.

"Then you may leave." Robin shut his screen and stood up. He was ready to eat dinner after working so hard today in the gym. He didn't particularly enjoy food, but it occupied time, which was all he cared about. "Oh and Robin," Slade murmured. Robin turned around and looked at his master. "I have a mission for you," he threw a file across the table, "I expect you to complete it _after_ our meeting." With that, Robin grabbed the file and walked out of the room.

* * *

-Almost two years ago-

It had been one week since Robin had been taken prisoner by Slade and he was already frantically searching for a way to escape. His only problem was whether or not Slade's threat was real. He wasn't quite certain and went back on forth on the issue. He had to be exaggerating. Even if it was real, he wouldn't do it on Robin's first try, would he? Robin was going insane already. All he did was train while Slade criticized his form and technique. Though, one couldn't forget all the beatings he had already gotten from talking back. They were becoming a part of his daily routine. He knew that they would stop if he just submitted without question, but he couldn't let that happen. He would not just _accept _this as his fate! This was not where he belonged! He belonged with the Titans. With his friends!

Robin had kicked the heavy bag for the last time and Slade told him to go take a five minute break. They had been training for five hours already and Robin was exhausted. He always thought that he was in pretty good shape, but Slade had managed to prove him wrong. It was almost embarrassing, for both parties. Slade watched as Robin walked to the corner to get water. He was drenched in sweat and panting heavily. Was this seriously all that he had? He must have gotten lazy over the past year and it was unacceptable! He was going to have to fix that, and fast, if Robin was going to be of any use. Slade wanted to be in Berlin within two months and Robin was in no condition to begin his work as an assassin. Not only was his body weak, but he had no training with guns whatsoever. Slade had his work cut out for him and was not happy about it.

"Break's over, get back over here and fix your form!" His kicks had been week and his toes were way too turned in, he was going to end up breaking his foot. Robin huffed his way over and stood in front of the bag. "Fix your stance! You can't fix your kicks if you aren't even standing correctly." Robin was becoming extremely sick of being talked down to, especially in that smooth, annoying voice. He missed his friend's encouraging voices; he missed Cyborg's motivational speech and Starfire's enthusiastic encouragement. He missed the sound of her voice in his ears, so sweet and beautiful.

"Kick higher," Slade commanded. Robin was becoming frustrated beyond all belief and just started to kick the bag with all of his strength. "You are hopeless. You are becoming flustered and your form is suffering because of it." Slade grabbed Robin's leg on the next kick and turned his foot out. "How do you expect to defeat an opponent when you fall apart under pressure? Do you think that this is how professionals behave? You are going to get murdered if you don't start concentrating!" Robin pulled his leg out of Slade's grip and fell to the floor.

"So what?! At least then I wouldn't have to live with _you _anymore!" At this, Slade became furious. He walked towards Robin, who started to crawl backwards before kicking himself up onto his feet. Slade sideswiped Robin's legs, but Robin jumped at the last minute. He retaliated with a punch, which Slade caught.

"See? Poor form," Slade pointed out. Robin tried to pull his arm away, but Slade flipped him around and twisted his arm until he fell to the floor. Robin's arm felt like it was going to split in two any moment and Slade tightened his grip. "All of your complaining is just harming you, so I would suggest shutting your mouth before you regret it." He threw Robin to the ground and walked back to the bag. Robin sat on the floor, staring furiously at Slade. "Get up and kick the bag," he demanded.

"NO!" Robin yelled. He was done! He wasn't going to do this anymore. He didn't care what happened; Slade was just going to have to deal with it. Slade took a step forward and stared Robin down.

"Get up and kick the bag," he said, his voice low and dangerous. Robin stood up and crossed his arms.

"NO." That was it, Slade was done. He thought that Robin would have heeded his warning, but it looked like he was going to have to teach him a lesson. He didn't expect it to happen so soon though. He threw Robin to the floor and kicked him in the stomach, knocking the air out of his lungs. As Robin laid there heaving and desperately trying to breathe, Slade grabbed his arms and dragged him down the hall. Robin began to kick and fight against him, but he had too firm of a grip on his wrists.

"LET ME GO! Let me go, you lunatic!" Robin yelled as Slade dragged him down the hall. They arrived at a door and Slade opened it with one hand while holding both of Robin's wrists in the other. He threw him against the back wall and walked out of the room, locking the door behind him. Robin looked around at the room; it was completely white from the walls to the tile and there were no windows. He felt like he should be in a strait jacket. Was this Slade's punishment? Solitary confinement? Robin could handle that; he could even come up with an escape plan while he sat there.

...

Robin had been sitting in that room for what seemed like a day. He was going insane! He was starving and his stomach was making very loud grumbling noises. He was also desperate to use a bathroom; he was seriously debating about peeing in the corner across the room. There was no sound in the room and he couldn't tell time. For all he knew, he could have been in there for only a few hours. He felt like he was in the void of space, just filled with light instead of darkness. He had assumed that Slade would be back reasonably soon, but he was sorely mistaken. This really was punishment and Robin was now regretting his actions. Why did he not just get up and kick the damn bag?!

He heard a click and the door swung open. Robin stood up, preparing to bolt out of the door to find a bathroom, when he saw that Slade wasn't alone. Standing next to him was a young boy, most likely no older than ten. He was sniffling and his face was covered in tear tracks. His eyes were light blue, despite being bloodshot from crying. He had very untidy, scruffy brown hair and his clothes looked to be a size too large. He was very pale and brown freckles lined his nose and forehead. They were so light that they almost looked like he had specs of dirt on his face. The young boy looked so tiny and frail next to Slade. His head reached Slade's midsection and his waist was about the size of Slade's arm.

Slade walked him further into the room after shutting the door behind him. The boy was whimpering and Slade tightened his grip on his arm; he would certainly have bruises later on. Robin's mind immediately jumped to one conclusion and he looked at the boy with fear, praying that his assumption was wrong. The boy was so young; he looked to be around the same age that Robin was when he had lost his parents. He honestly reminded Robin a lot of himself when he was that age: scared, alone,_ weak_. Slade wouldn't, the boy was too young, he couldn't!

"You see this young man?" Slade asked the little boy, indicating towards Robin. "He is the reason that you are going to die." The boy started to cry profusely and Robin looked at him in shock. Slade wouldn't! He couldn't! The boy was so innocent! And all because Robin wouldn't kick a heavy bag? Slade pulled out a large handgun from his back holster and pointed it at the boy's head, the whole time looking at Robin.

"NO! STOP!" Robin shouted. He had to stop him, he _had to. _"I'm sorry! I'll listen from now on! I promise! Just, please stop!" Robin pleaded. He could not witness this. This was just plain evil! Slade pressed the gun against the boy's head, causing him to start screaming in fear. "SLADE! STOP! I will do whatever you say! Please, just STOP!" Robin was getting desperate, he had no weapons on him and he knew that if he made a move towards Slade, it would be the last thing that the child ever saw.

"It is too late Robin; I told you that there would be no warnings. Maybe next time you will think before you act," Slade said, his voice eerily calm. Slade cocked the gun and Robin began to run towards him.

"NOOOOO!" –_BANG- _Robin stopped in his tracks, his body going into shock. Everything felt like it was in slow motion. The boy fell to the floor and Robin watched as blood began to pour out of his head. That didn't just happen, he didn't just see that.

"Perhaps now, you will heed my warning," Slade said. He turned around and walked out of the room, locking the door behind him. He figured that he would let Robin sit in the room for a while to really let it _sink in_. This should make him more obedient. Slade didn't normally kill children, but he figured that it would be best for the lesson that he was teaching. Now, Robin would have innocent blood on his hands and Slade knew that he would do anything to prevent it from happening again. Slade was quite pleased with himself; he was certain that he was a large step closer to breaking Robin. After all, everyone has a breaking point, including the boy wonder.

Robin fell to his knees, staring in shock at the horror across from him. It was his fault, all his fault! That child died because of him, because he couldn't just do what Slade asked… No! He would not take the blame! It was Slade who killed the kid, not Robin! He is the psychopath! …But he did warn Robin, and Robin ignored it. Why couldn't he have just listened?! That boy did not deserve to die because of him. He may not have pulled the trigger, but he was the reason that the child was dead. It really was all his fault; there was no denying it…

A pool of blood was forming around the body and making its way towards him. He began to crawl backwards, not wanting the blood to reach him. The child really did remind him of himself as a young boy. Did Slade do that on purpose? Did he pick a young child so remnant of Robin for some kind of poetic justice thing? Except that it wasn't justice, it was the exact opposite. Robin was now curled up in a ball in the corner of the room, his body going numb and his face blank from disbelief.

...

Slade came to retrieve him several hours later and was forced to carry him out of the room. Robin was too much in shock from what he had witnessed to even respond to Slade. After that, Robin wasn't the same. He wasn't broken yet, not by a long shot, but he had definitely lost the fight in him. He no longer fought against his training, against Slade. _He had learned his lesson_.

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Sorry about the child death, but it was necessary... Once again, please review, because there is nothing that I love more than reading your reviews!


	6. Little Green Phial

-The disclaimer is in Chapter One-

Remember, this story _i__s_ rated M for mature... so please do not flame me because of what happened in the last chapter... Thank you!

Also, thank you for all of the follows, favorites, and reviews!

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It was late at night; in fact it was almost technically the morning. Robin looked at his watch, _11:52 p.m._ He had been up for almost an entire twenty-four hours and was ready to go home and climb into his bed. Unfortunately, he still had work to do; and he could not put it off any longer. If Robin did not come home with his target, well, he preferred not to think about what would happen. Slade had become more lenient over the past year, letting Robin choose when he went on missions, but not for this job. He wanted it done today. They would need it soon.

Robin sat on the top of a roof, watching a large building across the street with binoculars. The building had a large sign that lit up the entire street, _Neuro Link Inc_. It was a new biotech company that was working on several projects at the moment, one of which Slade wanted. Robin was studying the guards, or so called "security", walking around the front of the building. Robin could tell that they were not very well trained. His biggest concern was the security system. Even though the company was still relatively new, it was backed by a large sum of government funds that protected it from theft. The building's security was top of the line, but then again, this was Robin. He was a master thief and assassin.

Robin continued to watch as the guards walked around the entrance of the building. He hoped to sneak into the building without arising suspicion so that he didn't have to kill any of them. It wasn't that he was averse to killing, he had become plenty used to that; he just didn't want to alert anyone to the theft. All he would need is for_ that_ to show up on the news. They were trying to keep a low profile at the moment; at least until they were ready to take down the crime boss, Victor Wyatte. By then, they would practically have one foot out of the city and be ready to move on. Thus, if anyone even discovered that something was going on in the city, they would be long gone.

Robin had been watching the building for nearly a half hour and felt ready to begin. He noticed that the guards would only round around the building once every ten minutes, which gave him plenty of time to break in. Across the street, a shadow could be seen scaling down an indistinct building in complete silence. Robin landed on the floor with a soft thud and placed his grappling hook back into his belt before running off to the building across the street. He scaled along the building, keeping his eyes open for bystanders, and made his way towards the back. The only sounds that could be heard were those of the guards talking and cars driving along the street. Robin could feel a familiar feeling creeping upon him, a certain rush. Missions were the only thing that made him feel that way. He wasn't certain whether or not he even liked it; he preferred the numbness that he had become accustomed to. He stopped at the back corner of the building and looked around; making sure that no one was coming before squatting down and pulling out a drill. He began to drill several bolts out of a vent.

After thirty seconds of speedy drilling worthy of a race track, Robin opened the vent and climbed in legs first. He was about to begin drilling the vent shut when he heard voices approaching.

"So, do you even know what they make here? Like, what is it that they are working on that is _so_ important? I mean really," a man's voice said. Robin stayed still, holding the vent in its place.

"I don't know man; all I know is that they pay me to walk around all day. So, I don't really care," another man's voice replied. Two pairs of legs passed by the vent and walked towards the front of the building. Neither of the guards had noticed the fingers in the vent or the bolts lying on the floor. "What _professionals_," Robin thought. He opened the vent and grabbed the remaining bolts from the ground before drilling it shut.

Inside the vent, Robin pulled up the blueprints for the building on his watch, which projected them in front of him. He had come to love his watch, especially in situations where he couldn't carry giant blueprints in his pockets. He needed to make his way to the main control room, and considering that the whole building was laced with cameras, the hallways were off limits. So, he was confined to the ventilation system. After getting a good look at the map, Robin began to worm his way through the system of vents. The security room was on the second floor, so Robin was going to have to make his way up after reaching the very back of the building. He really did seem to get the worst end of things when it came to Slade. He always was given the tedious and uncomfortable missions. It used to really bother him, but now he really didn't care what he did anymore. He was more or less a walking shell… a robot that Slade commanded... and it didn't bother him in the slightest…

He had been crawling through the vents for twenty minutes, discreet as a puff of smoke in the wind. It was extremely hot and stuffy and Robin was beginning to sweat. He felt like he was in a furnace; what he would give for some fresh air. On top of that, he had crawled through at least ten spider webs. He came to a fork, one way leading up and the other leading down. He kicked his legs up and landed in the top vent. He began to crawl upwards, trying his best not to slip from the sweat on his hands.

After another ten minutes of crawling, Robin stopped at a vent and kicked it open. There was a camera in the corner, but its range of vision left a rather large blind spot towards the right side of the room. Robin lowered his body out of the vent, being careful to keep it out of the range of the camera and swung himself over to the right corner. He pulled a small device out of his belt and placed it on the wall before crawling back up into the vent. He just hoped that his legs weren't caught in mid swing by the camera. Upon re-entering, he closed the vent behind him and continued on, making his way through the maze of turns. He looked at his watch, it was now past one. Hopefully he would be out of here by two; he really wanted to go to sleep.

He stopped before another vent and sat down, peeking into the room below. There were about ten screens on the wall and a large computer below them, controlling every security measure that the building had. Inside sat three men, one absentmindedly watching the screens and the other two chatting with coffee in their hands. Did anyone take this job seriously? They are practically asking to be robbed. Not that Robin cared; it just made his job easier. Though, he had to admit that he was hoping for a bit of a challenge. Robin sat up and pulled a remote out of his belt. Making sure that at least one person was watching the screens, he pushed a large button.

"Whoa! Did you guys see that?" the man watching the screens asked. The other two looked over and began to watch the screens.

"I don't see anything…" a tall red-headed man said. He didn't feel like getting up to check on anything.

"There was a flash on camera seven. Here, I'll play it again," the first man said as he began to type on the computer. A replay of the massive flash of light showed on the screen and the man sat back, waiting to hear his co-workers responses.

"Sooo…. What? It was a flash, probably just a problem with the camera." The third man sat silently as his two co-workers talked, not caring to say anything. He was playing with the edges of his coffee mug and looking at the screen.

"Well, it came from the records room. If something got stolen, we would be dead. We would be beyond fired! Just go check on it, okay?" The man had worked security for other companies before and had learned one thing, you can never be too careful.

"Ughhh, fine, but after this, you owe me a doughnut," the red- headed man joked. "How about you, Jerry? You have been silent this entire time, why don't you come with me on my field trip?" The man named Jerry looked at him and shrugged, placing his coffee mug on a nearby table. The two left the room and the third turned back around to watch the screens. Robin could hear a conversation between the two workers as the door shut behind them. "Can you believe this? Checking on a flash of light, this is ridiculous."

"At least we have something to do besides swivel in our chairs," the man named Jerry replied. Both laughed and continued walking, taking their time in going to the source of the flash. Neither believed that it was anything, so neither cared to move faster. Not like they had anything to rush back to anyways.

Robin had expected for all three to go investigate, but nevertheless, he was prepared. He pulled out a small can and aimed it through the vent into the room. It cracked and a faint hiss could be heard, though not unnoticed by the man. He looked around intently for about a minute before falling out of his chair onto the floor. Robin kicked the vent open and dropped into the room. He walked over to the computer and began to type. A password request popped up, preventing Robin from going further. He looked up at the screens; the two men were still walking towards the records room at a leisurely pace. _What idiots… _Robin pulled a flash drive out of his belt and plugged it into the computer. Within seconds the password screen disappeared.

He continued to type as the flash drive did its work. All of the surveillance screens reset and were now on a continuous loop. Rather than seeing the two guards walking in the hallway, Robin saw an empty corridor. He turned off all of the cameras and bypassed the alarm. Now, not even the silent alarm could be set off. He could blow up an entire room and no one would know, not that he intended to. He pulled the flash drive out and set the screen back to its original state. The man was lying asleep on the floor and Robin walked over to pick him up. After placing him in his chair, Robin closed the vent and walked out into the hallway. A few minutes later the two men showed up and laughed at the man sleeping in his chair. "I guess we aren't the only ones bored out of our minds!"

Robin walked into an empty room and pulled a lab suit out of a small backpack that he had been carrying. It was all white, except for a black label on its right lapel that said _Neuro Link Inc. _Slade had made the suit to look exactly like the suits that the scientists wore, thus allowing Robin to walk into the lab without arising suspicion. After changing into his suit, Robin threw the backpack into the nearest trash can and walked back into the hallway. He was on the second floor, but needed to get to the seventh, where the lab was located. He headed towards the stairwell, not wanting to be seen in the elevator by others. He may have the suit, but that doesn't mean that he had the face to match it. Someone might not recognize him and start asking questions, and he didn't feel like having to strangle someone to death today.

He ran up the stairs until he reached the seventh floor landing. In the hallways, various workers could see a young scientist walking towards the lab, already dressed in his suit. It was a slightly odd sight for them, as the scientists didn't normally walk around in their suits outside of the lab. Robin approached the door and saw that a keycard was needed to get in. Suspecting that this might happen, he had stolen the passed out security guard's keycard as a precautionary measure. He figured that security guards could get into any room.

After swiping the card, he entered the lab, where twelve other workers in lab suits were walking around doing various tasks. Most were carrying chemicals and little phials, some of which Robin could identify. Slade wanted Robin to know his way around certain subjects and forced him to study Chemistry during their first year together. It did come in useful, especially when mixing poisons and making bombs. Robin walked the length of the room, looking around as inconspicuously as possible. He needed to look like he knew his way around the lab.

The room was filled with large and expensive looking equipment, most of which Robin had no idea the use of. He may know some Chemistry, but this looked like something out of a science fiction movie to him. At the far end of the room was a large metal door with a label on it, '_Caution: dangerous chemicals'._ This was where it must be. This room was protected by a keypad and of course, Robin didn't know the code. He fished through his pockets before coming across another, smaller flash drive. He plugged it in and overrode the system, forcing the door to open.

He walked in and looked around the small room. It was like a giant refrigerator, he could even see his breath in the air. There were several rows of shelves to each side of him, all covered in jars and phials. He scanned through each shelf, looking for a certain label. There were chemicals of all types in here; it was like a scientist's dream. Robin came across several bottles that he wouldn't have minded stealing for himself, but thought it best not to; better to not raise suspicion. He continued to search through the shelves, scanning every label. _There it was_, sitting pretty on the third shelf to his left. He picked the tiny bottle up and examined it. It was green and about the size of his index finger. He quickly pocketed it and pulled out an identical bottle to put in its place. He was about to make his way out when an alarm sounded and the door slammed shut. All of the scientists stopped what they were doing and looked over at the room.

"Shit," Robin exclaimed under his breath. He was in trouble now… He had turned off the alarm, the cameras… What the hell? There must have been a separate alarm for this room that he did not know about. Why didn't it go off when he hacked the keypad? Perhaps the alarm reset itself, or maybe the guard woke up. The guard didn't see anything though; he was supposed to think that he just fell asleep… Whatever it was, it didn't matter anymore. It was too late; Robin was caught. Now the police would know that Nero Link Inc. was robbed. _Great_…

Robin placed a round device on the door and within a few seconds it was blown out of its frame. There was no going back now. He placed several other devices along each of the shelves and walked out of the room, stepping on the bent door. Another several explosions went off inside the room, knocking the shelves over and breaking all of the bottles. The scientists began to run out of the room, several shrieking along the way. For all they knew, he was trying to blow up the entire lab as some sort of sabotage to their experiments.

Robin bolted out of the room; guards would start showing up soon and he needed to disappear. He had not prepared for a quick escape. This was supposed to be a completely silent heist; he was supposed to have time to sleuth out with grace. He started stripping out of his suit as he ran towards the stairs. Several guards came out of the elevator just as Robin ran into the stairwell. They sprinted to the lab, not seeing the door close next to them. Robin began to jump down from rail to rail, not wanting to take the time to actually run down the stairs.

Somewhere around the third floor, several men ran into the stairwell and saw Robin jumping down. They followed suit and caught up to him at the floor below, surrounding him in a swarm of men. "Stop!" One guard shouted and Robin froze in place. The man was very large and muscular; he would probably be quite intimidating to most people, but not Robin. After all, Robin did work for the most frightening and menacing assassin out there.

Robin looked around at all the men pointing guns at him. "Now slowly put your hands up where I can see them!" Robin looked at the man, a smile creeping up on his face. It frightened the other guards quite a bit; it was not a natural smile, but something that you would expect to come from a monster. It was almost inhuman. Robin began to raise his arms slowly above his head and the guards looked at him, feeling that something was off. The head guard put his gun away and started to walk towards Robin with handcuffs. He stopped as Robin began to open his own hand, showing them all a small circular devise in his palm. The guards began to run backwards, assuming that it was a bomb. None of them signed up to be blown up when they had accepted the job. Robin threw it to the ground at the feet of the large guard that had been approaching him, ready to get the hell out of there.

Giant clouds of smoke filled the entire second floor landing and all the guards began coughing. Within seconds Robin was gone, phial in hand. As the smoke cleared, everyone could see the burly guard passed out on the floor, his hands cuffed to the stair rails. By the time that the police showed up, Robin was several blocks over, watching the scene from a rooftop with his binoculars.

He may have gotten caught, but at least they wouldn't know what was stolen. In fact, they might not even think that he had stolen anything at all; they might just assume that it was an attack on the company. Robin just hoped that they believed that, or else blowing up the entire room's contents would have been in vain. Robin stood up, putting his binoculars back into his belt, and ran off into the night. A light clink could be heard on the street below as a small handcuff key fell from the roof, where Robin had been sitting a moment ago.

-Nearly two years ago-

It had now been two weeks since Robin was kidnapped and he was sitting at the table in the kitchen, absentmindedly playing with his thumbs. Light streamed in from the window as the sun came up and Robin gazed at one of the streaks that it made on the table. He _was_ going to make himself breakfast, but just didn't find the motivation to do so once he got there. He sat in silence with a blank stare on his face for another half hour until Slade came in the room. He walked over to the fridge without so much as a glance towards Robin.

"Have you eaten breakfast?" he asked. He didn't ask out of kindness or concern for Robin, he just didn't want him to become weak from malnourishment. He turned around and Robin shook his head in reply. He hadn't talked much since the events of last week; he was still in shock.

"I expect you to eat breakfast every day Robin. I will make you something today, but do not expect me to cook for you every day," he said, his back turned to Robin. Robin just continued to stare at the light on the table, barely listening to what Slade was saying. His mind had been foggy lately, like he was only half there. Whenever Slade spoke to him, it was as if he heard it through water. Slade walked to the table, two large bowls in hand, and sat down. He slid a bowl across the table towards Robin. "Eat," he commanded. Robin obeyed and began to slowly eat out of the bowl, not really paying attention to what he was eating.

Slade began to read the newspaper, not eating his food due to his mask. He would wait for Robin to finish and leave before eating. One day he would be able to eat in front of Robin. He fully intended upon taking off his mask, but only when he was certain that Robin was broken enough to stay upon his own free will. That was when Slade could fully trust him; he was going to make _no_ mistakes this time.

"Slade?" Robin whispered. Slade looked up at Robin, who was already looking at him.

"You may call me master, Robin. Not Slade," he pointed out. Robin just sighed; he would _not_ call Slade master, though he didn't want to anger him into another lesson either… There was just no way that Robin would call him master, that would mean giving up. He had stopped fighting during training and had stopped talking back… for the most part… but he would not call Slade master, _ever._

"That boy… Why did you kill a child? Why not an adult?" This had been bothering Robin all week. Why did he feel the need to kill a child? Killing an adult would have proven his point just as well. Robin's face was filled with gloom and Slade could see it.

"Why Robin, I thought that you, the boy wonder, saw all life forms as equal? Young, old, good, _bad_…" Robin could tell exactly where this was going. "So, are you telling me that some people are more worthy of life than others? As in the case of this child?"

"I didn't say that…" Robin replied, his tone defeated. Robin knew that Slade would pull this reasoning on him; it was only a matter of time. Slade wanted him as an assassin, there was no denying it. He had been waiting for the 'it's okay to kill certain people' speech for over a week now.

"Well you were certainly implying it. See? We are not so different after all Robin… We both see that some people deserve life more than others…" Slade said, his voice smooth and cunning.

"Look, I don't want to get into this now. I just want to know why you chose a ten-year-old." Robin was already done with Slade's clever manipulation. He didn't even want to think about what his future held for him. He knew that it would come down to it one day; he was going to be forced to kill. And when that day came, he was going to do everything in his power to prevent it. There was only one problem… what if Slade threatened another life? Would he really be saving somebody if another was just going to die in their place?

Slade looked at Robin for about a minute, staring in silence, before saying anything. "I chose the boy because he was so remnant of you Robin." He knew it; Slade did choose him because of their similarities. "He had more in common with you than you may think," Slade said. "He was small and frail… just like you at that age. He had blue eyes… just like you do." Robin sat up straighter; he was shocked, outraged, that Slade knew the color of his eyes. How did he find out? How long had he known? "He was even parentless… just like you at that age."

Robin stood up out of his chair, panting heavily and staring daggers at Slade, who just smiled in return under his mask. "Unfortunately, he wasn't lucky enough to be adopted by a billionaire… like you at that age," he added. Robin's jaw dropped. How?! How could he know?! He stood there gaping at Slade. "I have known who you are for years, Richard. It was not that hard to put two and two together. You and old bats are not as clever as you think you are." He paused, "It was rather careless of him to adopt his own ward as a sidekick…. Made it too easy to figure out his identity."

Robin sat back down in his chair, not knowing what to do or say. He just looked down at the table; now Slade knew Batman's identity as well. Robin was truly stuck; his friends might not even be able to save him now. "Do not worry; I am not going use your identity against you. If I was going to, I would have done it years ago." He did have a point. He could have used it against Robin years ago, but he didn't.

Robin was now falling into a pit of despair. Slade knew his identity and it had been two weeks since he went missing… Why have the Titans not come for him yet? He didn't want to be stuck here forever! What was taking them so long? He just wanted to go home to his friends, where he could laugh and enjoy life… He wasn't going to become an assassin… He wasn't going to call Slade master… And he certainly wasn't going to live the rest of his life here! _The Titans will come… Just don't give up hope… Don't give in to Slade… They will come… _

Robin stood back up, this time not out of anger, but rather because he was done with the conversation. As he made his way towards the door he stopped, wanting to know one more thing. "What was his name? The boy…" he asked.

"Timothy Spoke… an orphan from the village. Do not worry, no one will miss him." With that Robin walked out, his body once again going numb.

-Present Day-

Robin arrived back at the base and walked to Slade's desk. Slade was sitting in his chair, his arms crossed over his chest, and waiting for Robin. It was now two thirty and he was ready to go to bed. Robin pulled the phial out of his pocket and handed it to Slade, who put it in a cooler next to his desk.

"I see that you managed not only to alert the police, but to also blow up the entire lab," Slade said. Robin looked at him, his face blank. Slade stood up and towered over Robin, who didn't move an inch or even blink in response. "_Tomorrow,"_ he growled, his voice low and dangerous, before walking out of the room. Robin stood there a little while longer before making his way to his own room to get some much needed rest. He knew that he was in for it in the morning.

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Sorry if this chapter feels a little rushed, I tried my best to not make it seem so... As usual, please review! And please be constructive! No flaming... Thank You!


	7. The First Time In Years

-The disclaimer is in Chapter One-

Thank you for your continuous support and reviews! I really appreciate it!

PS. Just in case you cannot tell, this entire chapter is in present day

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-New York -

Robin was standing in front of the mirror, looking at himself. He could feel the cold tile on his feet and the air stinging against his skin. He sighed and closed his eyes, wanting to escape from himself, from his life. He didn't understand what he had done to get here. He didn't understand why he was even alive. What purpose did he have? What was the reason that he kept living and breathing? He didn't feel… he didn't love… so what was the point? He would kill himself, in fact, he had considered it many times, but Slade would just revive him. So why bother? He will just get beaten for it, or worse… someone else would suffer because of it, some other innocent person.

Out of all the people that he had seen die and personally killed, he didn't see one that deserved it more than him. He used to keep count of his kills, but the number grew too large. And at a certain point, he didn't care to know anymore. He was beyond hope, beyond feeling compassion. He wasn't human anymore; his soul died a long time ago. He had stopped caring about those that he ruthlessly murdered. He no longer pitied them, he no longer thought about their families. Once he had hated himself for being a murderer, but now… he saw nothing wrong with it. He still hated himself, but for other reasons.

He opened his eyes and looked into the mirror, seeing those dead eyes looking back at him. So void… so vacant… so lifeless… He turned on the faucet and began to clean out several cuts on his forehead. His face was honestly not that bad compared to his body. There were only about three cuts and his left eye was slightly swollen. Nothing that he hadn't had before, in fact, he has had much worse. This was his punishment for setting off the alarm at Neuro Link Inc.; he was very lucky that he wasn't in a coma right now. After washing out the wounds, he opened the cabinet and pulled out rubbing alcohol. He didn't so much as flinch as he poured it into the open cuts. He had become accustomed to pain. He placed several band aids over the cuts and then proceeded to slowly pull his shirt off.

This time flinching in the slightest, Robin threw the shirt to the floor and began to examine his torso in the mirror. There were several lashes across his chest and back and there were boot shaped bruises along his ribcage and stomach. He was pretty sure that he didn't have any broken ribs, as he knew what those felt like quite well, but every time he moved he could feel twinges of pain. Every time he breathed he could feel his chest constricting. How had this become his norm?

He took a wash cloth and wet it down, wiping the blood off of his torso before pouring rubbing alcohol over each wound with a hiss. He relished the pain, knowing that as soon as he was done, he would go back to total numbness. After finishing cleaning his wounds, he stopped to inspect his body. He was quite lean, but he had built up a bit of muscle since becoming Slade's apprentice. One noticeable aspect about Robin was his massive amount of scars. He had more than could probably be counted, some from Slade, some from various missions. He let his hands trace several of the scars before landing on one in particular that sat straight over his heart. He traced it several times before stopping to look at that oh so familiar _S_. He could remember the day that Slade had carved that into him.

He had come home from a mission, several months after being kidnapped, to be jabbed in the neck with a needle. Apparently, Slade had carved a large S straight over his heart with a surgical knife. Robin woke up to the lovely bleeding insignia on his chest and when asked, Slade replied, "Needed to mark my territory." It healed over and left a faint scar, which Slade was not satisfied with. He knocked Robin out once again and re-carved it, wanting it to be more prominent. The second time, the cut did not heal so discreetly and left a rather noticeable scar, much to Robin's distaste.

After that, Robin gave up on not being Slade's. He could no longer deny it. His will wasn't completely broken, but he was very close. It took a few more months of killing for his fire to completely die out. And when it did, Robin fell into complete darkness. That was when he stopped feeling; that was when the light in his eyes dissipated. There was no going back from there… There was no bringing Richard back. Now he was just Robin, assassin extraordinaire.

- Jump City -

Cyborg walked into the main ops room, a book in hand. Beast Boy was sitting on the couch, watching some action show and Starfire was leaning against a counter in the kitchen. Both were completely silent as they listened to Cyborg enter the room.

"Hey Star, have you seen Raven?" he asked.

"I believe that she has gone to the roof," she replied. Her voice wasn't as joyous as it used to be, but it still wasn't completely depressing. Though her tone was often melancholy, it wasn't disheartening. She still held out hope, it was the only thing that kept her going.

"Thanks," he replied and turned to walk out of the room. "Hey Star?" he said as he stopped in the doorway.

"Yes, friend Cyborg?" she asked, her tone sweet and curious.

"Would you like to do something later? Watch a movie or something?" He turned to look at her. Her face lifted slightly and she smiled at him.

"I would very much like that," she whispered. Beast Boy's ears perked up at the mention of a movie and he flipped over on the couch to look at the two. Cyborg nodded at her and continued on his way towards the roof, leaving the two alone in the room.

"Could I maybe get in on the action?" Beast Boy asked, his voice enthusiastic. He loved watching movies! And they hadn't all watched a movie together in years. She walked over to the couch and sat down next to him.

"What do you mean? I do not understand the 'get in on the action'? Is there going to be battle?" she asked. She knew that it was another earthly expression, but she did not understand what it meant. Beast Boy laughed and she looked down, embarrassed from being so foolish.

"No! Star, it's okay! I wasn't laughing at you, I promise! I was just asking if I could join you and Cyborg with the movie," he explained. Starfire took Beast Boy's laughter the wrong way most of the time and he had been trying to remedy that lately. She smiled, her expression understanding.

"Yes! I would be overjoyed to have you join me and friend Cyborg!" she exclaimed. Beast Boy laughed again; he loved her enthusiasm. He had never fully appreciated what a good person she was during their first few years together as team mates. He stood up abruptly and she jumped slightly from surprise.

"How about I teach you how to play videogames? I mean, I know that we taught you years ago, but I figure that I could re-teach you!" He thought it would be a great way to kill some time and cheer her up. She looked at him doubtfully for a moment. "Come on… you know you want to! It'll be fun, I promise!" With that, she nodded and Beast Boy ran over to the Game Station console to set up their first game.

...

Above the ops room, on the roof, sat a young woman with dark hair. She was levitating and chanting her mantra. "Azarath…Metrion… Zinthos… Azarath… Metrion…Zinthos…" Behind her, the door to the roof opened and a young man walked through the entryway. He stood at the door as it closed behind him, admiring the view of the sunset over the water. They really did live in a spectacular spot. He continued to stand there, watching as the sun went completely down.

It really was a lovely day, the temperature was slightly warm and Cyborg could feel a cool breeze pass him by every so often. It was days like these that he really felt content with life, no matter the circumstances. It was days like these that showed him that life can still be beautiful, even when you are suffering. It was days like these that Cyborg felt happy to be alive.

"How long have you been standing there?" a monotonous voice asked. Cyborg looked over at Raven, who was now sitting on the ground. He walked over to her, his boots crackling on the rocky pavement, and sat down next to her.

"Just since the sunset, I came to give you this," he said and handed her a very old, very heavy book. She looked down at it for a moment before taking it out of his hands. "I found it in the hallway near Robin's door." She continued to look at the book in silence and Cyborg sighed. "Look, if you ever want to talk, I am here." He looked up at the now darkening sky and saw stars beginning to appear. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to shut out her emotions.

"That is nice of you Cyborg, but I am fine. I must have dropped it while walking to the ops room," she said. He sighed once again, wishing that just for once she would open up. He knew that Robin's room was nowhere near her route to the ops room. It wasn't good for her to bottle up her emotions; _that_ he knew for sure. But he didn't want to push her; she would open up when she was ready.

"You know? I don't think I have ever really watched the sunset. I have seen it before, but I never really sat down to watch it," he mused, the whole time looking out at the darkening horizon. Raven grunted in acknowledgment and began to look out at the waters surrounding the island, placing the book on the ground next to her. They both sat there for a while, Cyborg leaning on his hands behind him and Raven sitting cross-legged next to him.

Both just sat in silence, appreciating the calm night. Raven was enjoying the company, not being used to having any, and Cyborg was enjoying the cool night air. Neither really felt the need to say anything, the silence was perfect. Both of them knew what was on the other's mind, so words were unnecessary. After a while of watching the stars begin to appear, Cyborg sat up, deciding that it was time to be getting back inside.

"Starfire and I are watching a movie, would you like to join?" he asked. He didn't expect her to come; he just thought it would be nice to invite her. She looked out at the stars for a moment before standing up, book in hand, and walking towards the door.

"You know," she stopped, "that actually sounds nice." Cyborg smiled at her and she nodded in return. The two made their way down to the main ops room, where Starfire and Beast Boy were laughing and playing videogames. Beast Boy paused the game and turned around, sitting with his knees on the couch and looking at Raven. Raven looked back at him, "So, are we going to watch a movie or what?" He smiled and jumped out of his seat, running towards their collection of movies.

On that night, the four Titans sat around the television and watched a movie, all smiling and enjoying each other's company for the first time in nearly two years.

...

Cyborg woke up on the couch and looked around at his friends. To his right Starfire was sleeping while sitting up straight and to his left, Beast Boy was sprawled across several cushions, drooling onto the floor. He smiled at the sight of them, his two friends sleeping happily. He cared about them so much, and seeing them happy last night had made his day. They all must have fallen asleep on the couch during the movie, except Raven. She must have gotten up to go to bed after everyone else had fallen asleep.

Cyborg yawned and sat up to stretch. He looked at the time, _7:14_. It would be a while before anyone woke up, so he decided to go and get himself a glass of milk. He stood in the kitchen in silence, watching his friends and sipping his milk. The sun was shining through the windows and the air was pleasantly still. It was a beautiful morning and Cyborg was happy to be right where he was. He took a deep breath and looked over at the computer across the room. _Might as well check_…

He walked over to the computer and sat down in the desk chair, placing his milk on a coaster. The once silent room was now filled with the faint sounds of a keyboard clacking. Cyborg looked over his shoulder at his sleeping friends before typing in the URL for the New York Post. He began to scan the front page, looking for anything of interest, when he came across an article titled 'Up and Coming Biotech company attacked'. He was about to click on the article when heard Starfire stir behind him. He immediately closed the page and stood up.

"Morning Star," he said as he walked over to the couch. She grumbled and rubbed her eyes before stretching her arms as high as she could.

"Why am I not in my room?" she asked as she yawned. She opened her eyes wide and looked at Cyborg.

"We all fell asleep on the couch after the movie," he replied. She turned and looked at Beast Boy who was lying on his stomach and breathing deeply.

"Where is Raven?" she asked.

"Oh, I guess she went to her room after we all fell asleep." Starfire nodded and stood up. She flattened out her skirt and walked to the front door, which slid open for her. She wanted to take a shower and change into some new clothes. Her stomach grumbled from hunger, but she would rather feel clean than eat right now.

Cyborg watched her go and walked to the kitchen, now hungry enough to eat breakfast. He began to make waffles, bustling around the kitchen and trying not to make noise; he didn't want to wake Beast Boy up. After making enough waffles to feed a family of five, Cyborg sat down to eat, drowning them in a pool of syrup. Half way through his feeding frenzy, the doors slid open again and Raven walked in. She had her hood over her face and was beginning to make tea. "So I guess you skipped out on the sleepover?" Cyborg asked jokingly.

"Yeah, sleepovers aren't really my thing…" she replied in her monotonous voice. Despite her impassive persona, she had actually really enjoyed last night, though she would never admit it. Cyborg chuckled and continued to eat his waffles. "That was a nice thing you did," she said, her back turned to him. He swallowed and turned his head to look at her.

"What did I do?" he asked before shoveling more waffles into his mouth with a fork. Raven turned around to face him and swirled the spoon in her mug.

"Having us all watch a movie, it was nice. We all needed it, especially Starfire." Cyborg looked at her and put his fork down.

"I just figure that you know, the team needed to relax and have some fun for once," he said. It was true, they needed it badly. All of them, even if Raven didn't want to admit that she needed it too. The two were silent for a few minutes, both thinking about last night.

"Starfire almost floated out of her chair last night," Raven whispered before sipping her tea.

"Yeah, I saw…" Cyborg and Raven looked away from each other, Raven focusing on her tea and Cyborg gazing at the counter.

"It's been a long time since she has done that… almost two years…" Raven added, not quite knowing why she was continuing on with the conversation.

"Yeah, I know," Cyborg said bitterly. Starfire hadn't flown since the night that the tower was attacked. Raven understood that it was because she needed to feel 'the unbridled joy of flight' in order to fly, and that she just couldn't feel it anymore. Raven had never asked her about it, but she knew why. She _had_ switched bodies with her at one point.

Raven looked at Cyborg, sensing his harsh tone, and walked over to him. She placed her hand on his shoulder and gave him one last look before walking out of the room. She needed to meditate, to get her emotions under control. Cyborg looked back down at his waffles, he no longer felt hungry. He stood up, his happiness from the morning leaking out of him, and looked over at Beast Boy. He looked so peaceful just lying there, like he didn't have a care in the world. That's how he should be… without a care in the world. He is so young, so innocent; and yet he has been through so much. Cyborg couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

He checked the clock again, it was now almost nine. He looked around the room and sighed. Maybe he should go work out in the gym or work on the T car. They may not use it anymore, but it was still his baby. As he looked around the room, his eyes landed on the computer in the corner. He could finish looking at the news…. _Nah…_ He would rather go check on his baby, not like there was anything important in the news today anyways.

-New York-

Robin was standing in the weapons room, looking around at his options. He took two hand guns, placing them in his hip holsters, and then turned around to look at the knives. A set of beautiful, shiny throwing knifes lay sheathed on a shelf. Robin couldn't resist the temptation and grabbed them, placing each knife in its place in his thigh holster. He grabbed several smoke bombs, flash bombs, and normal explosive bombs and positioned them in his belt. Along with those his belt held a grappling hook and a set of poisoned darts. He also had a machete sheathed over his back for good measure… you never know…

Robin walked towards the door, where Slade stood, watching him as he chose his weapons. "Throwing knives?" he asked with his eyebrows raised. Robin stood still next to Slade, looking at him and not saying a word. Slade looked down at his young apprentice, pride filling his eyes. He sure did love watching Robin get ready for an assassination. It was a victory for him every time. "Ready?" he asked, this time expecting an answer from Robin.

"Ready," the cold voice replied.

* * *

Once again, please review! Love getting your reviews! Thank you for reading!


	8. Losing Hope

-The Disclaimer is in Chapter One-

Warning: Mature content

Thank you for all of your support, reviews, follows, and favorites! Enjoy!

* * *

-Berlin: Less than a year and a half ago-

Robin was sitting at a circular table in a large square room. It was their base room, their very _first_ base room. Little did Robin know how many different base rooms he would become accustomed to in the future. Slade hadn't exactly told him his plans for the city yet, but Robin knew that whatever they were, they weren't good. He leaned forward onto the table, resting his weight on his forearms and gazing at the wall across from him with unfocused eyes.

It had been almost four months since he was abducted by Slade and he was slowly beginning to lose hope of being rescued. His new routine consisted of athletic training, tactical training, weapons training, and of course, the occasional beating. He knew that if he would just stop talking back, he wouldn't get beaten, but he was too stubborn. He felt like these past four months had been a lifetime, but yet a blur. It felt like they weren't really happening, like everything was a dream; he just hoped that one day he would wake up.

He would sometimes have dreams about the Titans, about Starfire. They were so real… He could hear their voices, feel their happiness, sense their presence… When he would wake up, he would think that he was home, even if for the briefest moment. It was during those moments that he actually felt happy again, but then he would remember where he was… who he was… He also had nightmares; some were made up scenarios and others were memories. He often dreamt that he was escaping, but at the last moment Slade would always catch him. He could never get away, no matter how hard he tried. The worst part of it was that in his dreams he had been with Slade for years. He couldn't even fathom being with Slade for years; four months was bad enough. There was no way that that could happen, if only the Titans would find him…

Robin could feel his chest clenching up as a familiar feeling crept up on him. He knew that feeling…. _Why now?_ Why did it have to start now? This feeling had been haunting him for months. He couldn't find peace anywhere, not even in sleep. It bothered him day and night. He buried his face in his hands and started to tug on the edges of his hair. "No," he whispered to himself, "Not now." He could see a room, painted in red. "Stop it….Go away!" he mumbled. He continued to pull his hair and take deep breaths, desperately trying to escape from the vision. A scene started to play in his head, like a film. It was like a broken record, constantly playing in the back of his mind. The room was so silent, so ominous. He hated that room… Why couldn't it go away?!

From the corners of his vision, he could see a pool of red flowing towards him. There was a tiny hand lying on the floor, the red liquid curving around it. He tried not to see it, but he could never not see it, it was imprinted on his brain. Robin could feel his stomach drop and suddenly felt ill. His breathing started to become shallow and his head was swimming. The tiny hand, so innocent, so lifeless. He could hear a voice, as if it was whispering in his ear. _Timothy Spoke… do not worry, no one will miss him. _Robin clenched his eyelids shut and tried to drown the voice out.

The scene changed and Robin could now see the boy's crystal blue eyes, full of fear. He wanted to help the boy, but he couldn't… he was too late. He felt like he was going to pass out and tears began to form in the corners of his eyes. _Don't cry… Don't cry… -BANG-_ He watched the boy fall to the ground, the sound of the gunshot ringing in his ears, as a single tear streamed down his face. A faint whisper caressed his ear: _No one will miss him._

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! LEAVE-ME -ALONE!" Robin shouted, this time not caring if he was heard. He was sick of hearing that no one cared for the boy… someone had to… someone had to miss him. He was dead because of Robin. It was all Robin's fault, he was the murderer, and he couldn't stop seeing it. It was driving him insane! He couldn't go anywhere without it playing in his mind. He heard Slade's words so clearly sometimes that he could swear that Slade was standing behind him and repeating them. Robin felt heaviness on his chest, like something was sitting on him; he was becoming overwhelmed with guilt. That poor young boy, with so much ahead of him, so much potential: _gone. _He couldn't bear it; he didn't know what he was going to do. He had to make it stop.

He just wanted to stop feeling so sickeningly distraught all the time… the only times he didn't see or hear it was when he let himself go numb. The only problem was: when he went numb, he was giving up, and he couldn't let that happen. He couldn't give up! He had to keep fighting!

"Robin." Robin jumped in his seat upon hearing Slade's real voice. He wiped his face and looked over to the man standing in the door way. "Do not tell me that you were just crying. I will _not_ tolerate crying." Robin shook his head and stood up, not wanting to get in trouble. The last time he let one tear slip, Slade threatened to 'give him something to cry about'. He did not feel like testing that warning; and luckily for him, he wasn't someone who cried often. Slade looked Robin up and down, admiring the new mission outfit that he had made. He especially loved the large S across the torso. "It is time," he stated and Robin nodded in acceptance.

It was Robin's first mission and he was nervous as hell. He had stolen various items for Slade during the past two months, but this was his first 'real' mission, or so Slade said. He had no idea what that meant, nor did he want to know. Slade was accompanying him on the mission, which worried him. Slade didn't go on missions with him, _ever_. Something about this one was special. Robin had a feeling about what it was… in fact, deep down inside, he knew what it was. He just didn't want to admit it. Slade didn't give him a gun for show, he wanted him to kill someone… and Robin, for once, was truly afraid.

...

The sun had just gone down and darkness crept all around, hiding two men in its shadows. One was a young man of average stature and the other a rather large older man. Both were wearing black and orange bodysuits and masks. The larger one wore a full, two toned mask and the other wore a simple eye cover. The two were sleuthing around the edges of a large building, making their way towards the front gate after having cut the power to the security system.

Slade had briefly explained to Robin that the building was a front for one of the largest drug cartels in the country. It was where all of the drugs were packaged and held before being sold, and it occasionally served as a place to cook methamphetamine. There was a massive, professional grade lab inside that could cook hundreds of pounds in a batch. The building had to have had at least one hundred million dollars' worth of product in it at the moment. Thus it was heavily guarded, or so it should have been… It seemed that on this day, several dozen of the guards had received calls telling them that they weren't needed at work today. Quite the coincidence….

Slade approached the front gates and picked the several locks that were chained around it. Robin's heart was beating abnormally fast; this was a major drug cartel… drug cartels kill people just for looking at them wrong… and they were _breaking in_! If he wasn't with Slade, he would be genuinely worried for his life. However, he couldn't imagine Slade being offed, and Slade certainly wouldn't let Robin die, not after all he has done to get him in the first place. It reassured Robin, but also made him angry thinking about it. Slade was never going to give him up… he would probably kill Death himself to get Robin back.

Slade motioned for Robin to proceed and stood at the gate while Robin ran around the front of the building, bending down to the ground from time to time. He was like a cat: silent, quick, and precise. Robin came running back and stood behind Slade, waiting for further instruction. Slade didn't tell him the full extent of what they were doing that night, so Robin just stood around, not knowing what to do and feeling like an idiot. He didn't even know what he had placed all around the building moments ago. Slade extended his arm backwards and pushed Robin back with his hand before crouching down and covering his ears. Robin followed his example and covered his ears, feeling angry that Slade had even touched him. Giving him one last look, Slade pressed a small button on a device in his hand.

-**BOOM**- Robin jumped back in shock at the massive flash and closed his eyes. Seven more explosions followed, all large and extremely loud. There were now several small fires blazing in the yard in front of the building. When the bombs finally stopped, a swarm of men came running out of the front door, all with very large guns. They started to fire at the gate and Robin fell to the ground, trying to shield himself from the bullets. Slade immediately stood up and pulled a large machine gun up into his arms. Robin looked up in shock, unbelieving of how the situation was already going. It had gone south fast, unless of course this had been planned. Slade aimed at the crowd running towards them and pulled the trigger, causing a shower of bullets to rain upon the men ahead.

The men began to fall to the ground in large groups. Robin looked up at Slade and covered his face with his arm as he got pelted with bullet shells. "SLADE! STOP!" he shouted, but his yelling was drowned out by the sound of fire. Within thirty seconds, everything went silent and all the men lay upon the floor, lifeless and unmoving. Robin continued to shield his head and squeeze his eyes shut; he could not believe what had just happened. Five minutes into the job and there was already so much carnage. How did Slade expect him to do this?

"Get up," Slade commanded as he put the gun down. Robin continued to sit silently, now pressing his hands to his ears tightly. "I said get up! We do not have time to sit around! We are on a mission, Robin!" Slade grabbed Robin's arm, "GET UP!" He lifted Robin up and shook him by the shoulders, forcing him to respond.

"Get off of me!" Robin huffed as he yanked his arms out of Slade's grip. Robin glowered at Slade, resentment swelling up inside of him.

"If you don't get moving, I will make you regret the day you were born," Slade growled, his voice severe. Robin glared at Slade for another few seconds before giving in and walking forward.

"Too late," Robin whispered as he passed Slade. Slade watched as Robin trudged forward with disbelief. _What a child…_

The two approached the front door, Robin counting the bodies as he went by in misery. He couldn't even keep count properly, there were too many and they were too close together. Slade blew the door open with a bomb and quickly walked through the entryway. "Pull out your gun Robin," he said to the boy behind him. He had a rather powerful handgun in front of him, aimed at the pathway ahead. Robin hesitated for a moment and Slade growled threateningly. "If you don't pull out your gun, you are going to get killed. And not by me," he added. It was true, everyone in this building would have a gun on hand, and none of them would be hesitant to kill a young teen. As a safety precaution, Robin pulled his gun out and held it downwards, aiming at the ground. He didn't want to actually shoot anyone.

Slade strode forward into the nearest hallway and motioned for Robin to stay put. Robin obliged and watched as Slade walked in and out of every room that he passed. After several minutes, Robin could no longer see him and was left alone in the large entryway. He didn't understand why Slade would just leave him in the front. Why was he was even here if he wasn't going to be doing anything? Probably just to witness the massacre outside… _Damn, Slade was sick._

Robin was now looking around the room, not knowing what to do with himself. There were three archways around him, one in front of him and two on each side of him, as well as the blown up front door behind him. Slade had gone down the hallway directly in front and Robin wondered if they all connected somewhere; this building must be huge inside. _It did have an entire lab_… Robin exhaled and held the gun lazily in his right hand; at least Slade wasn't making him use it. He walked over to the left archway and peered into the hallway. It was lined with several doors and curved around to the right at the very end.

He had one foot in the hallway when he heard a bang followed by a whoosh. He quickly turned around to see a massive figure pointing a gun at his head from the middle of the room. _That was a bullet?! _He ran behind the archway and took cover, placing his gun back in its holster. He reached into his belt to grab his bo staff before remembering that Slade insisted that he leave it back at the base. _Bastard…_ Robin could hear the man walking towards him and squatted down. He listened to the sound of boots walking through the room with anticipation.

The man stopped at the archway and held his gun out, preparing to shoot the young boy, when a foot swooped out of the corner and knocked the gun out of his hand. Robin landed on the ground in a crouch and tried to sweep the man's feet out from under him, but the man stepped out of the way. He grabbed Robin's shoulders and picked him up, holding him eye level. Robin's feet swung back and forth as he tried to free himself, but the man threw him back into the front room. He strolled into the room casually as Robin slid across the floor.

Robin kicked himself up and ran towards the man before jumping into the air and attempting to kick him in the head. The sooner he knocked this idiot out, the better. The man chuckled in a low grumble and quickly grabbed Robin's foot, catching him mid-air. He used Robin's own momentum to throw him straight to the ground with a painful _thud. _Robin landed onto his back and started to cough violently. He heard a crack and was pretty sure that he had damaged his spine. The man looked down at him before turning around to go retrieve his gun from the archway.

He had taken five steps when he was hit in the back by a small object. Robin was standing behind him, and had thrown the first thing that he could find in his belt at the man. The device blinked and then flashed, blinding Robin. _A flash bomb… really?! That is what I throw at him._ He began to blink furiously, trying to get his vision back when he was knocked off his feet by an arm to the throat. The man must have come running at him with his arm held straight out. Robin was once again heaving and coughing on the floor as the man looked down at him.

_Little brat_… The man watched as Robin crawled onto all fours and attempted to get up. With one swift kick to the midsection, he forced Robin back down to the ground with a deafening _crack_. If Robin didn't do something soon, he was going to be knocked unconscious, _or worse_. The man leaned down and grabbed Robin by the hair, preparing to kick him square in the jaw. Robin looked up at him, blood dripping down his head from being thrown to the floor, and kneed him in the groin. The man let go, crying out in agony and Robin scrambled up. He quickly roundhouse kicked him in the head, to very little effect.

The man stood up straight and ran at Robin, forcing him to retreat backwards. He swept at Robin's feet, but Robin dodged it. He stopped suddenly, taking Robin off guard in surprise, and grabbed his torso. Robin could feel the man's fingers digging into his sides as he was lifted into the air. Before Robin was able to react, he was thrown straight against the wall. He hit it directly with his right shoulder and slumped down to the ground, now becoming extremely concerned with how the situation was going. This man was very well trained and he was losing…_miserably_. He tried to get up by pushing down with his hands, but just collapsed under the weight; his back and shoulder hurt too much to move. _Great…_

The man walked slowly towards Robin, a murderous look in his eye. Where was Slade? Why has he not gotten back yet or heard the fight going on? Did he truly not care enough about Robin to come and help him? Or did he plan this? Was this his way of forcing Robin to kill? _That sick son of a bitch!_ Not being able to get up and seeing no other option, Robin pulled his gun out of its holster. His head was pounding from being thrown around so much and he could feel a migraine coming on. He slowly lifted the gun with shaky hands and pointed it at the man's chest, feeling his pulse in his fingertips. The man stopped in his tracks and stared at Robin with uncertainty on his face. He didn't know that the kid was armed.

Robin gazed up at the man's face, his arms trembling, and watched him for what felt like an eternity. Was he really going to kill a man? _He is trying to kill me…_ But it was his fault for breaking in in the first place, this man was just defending what was his. Criminal or not, he didn't deserve to die. But if Robin didn't shoot him, then he would surely be dead within minutes. _It is self- defense… right? _Robin was fighting himself internally, not knowing what to do. Could he handle having blood on his hands? Even if it wasn't innocent? But was he also prepared to die over some criminal? Suddenly, in that moment, he could hear Slade's voice in the back of his mind. _Do not worry, no one will miss him_. He could see the poor boy and hear his cries of fear.

The man could see a flash of something in Robin's eyes. Fear? Shock? Bewilderment? He couldn't quite pinpoint what it was and was unsure what to make of it. Robin blinked and felt his breathing accelerate. He was left with an ultimatum: kill another person or die. He heard Slade's voice resounding in his head. _See? We are not so different after all Robin… We both see that some people deserve life more than others…_ Robin's eyes became fixed and he sighed in defeat, feeling his lungs burn as he did so. "I am nothing like you," he whispered under his breath. The man, having heard that, cocked his head slightly in puzzlement. Robin closed his eyes and slowly lowered the gun.

The man's expression changed to that of incomprehension. _He was putting down his gun?_ The gun slipped out of Robin's hands and fell to the floor with a _clank. _He sat still against the wall, his breathing now slowing. Who was to say that his life was worth more than another's? The fact was that it wasn't. He couldn't kill someone just to save himself; he just couldn't, no matter how bad of a criminal they may be. So, if was going to die, then so be it. What did he have to live for anyways?

Robin could feel a hand brush across his leg and he opened his eyes. The man had grabbed the gun off the floor and was now aiming it at him. "You are one stupid kid, you know that?" the man said and Robin squeezed his eyes shut, preparing himself for the impact. He sat in that moment, thinking of his friends and all the fond memories he had with them. He was grateful for the time that they had together, even if it was so short. The man gave Robin one last look, seeing him take a deep breath and began to pull the trigger. -_BANG_-

The sound of clacking rang throughout the hall, as well as a light _thud_. A man was walking along the hall, gun in hand. Outside, silence filled the night as the bodies of the fallen lay across the ground. The man stopped walking and stared forward at the scene before him. Robin was leaning against the wall, covered in blood.

Robin began to open his eyes and was shocked to see that he was still in the hall. He was alive! _How?_ He looked in front of him and saw the man lying on the ground, his head blown into oblivion by the impact of the bullet. Robin started to retch, shock once again flowing over him. _How?_ _How did that happen?_ He couldn't take his eyes off the gruesome scene in front of him, not even to look for his savior_. _He couldn't believe that the man was dead. That could have been him… He had come so close to being that dead body on the floor… How could he have let that happen? What was he thinking?! He just walked into death like it was nothing! He didn't even try to fight; he was just going to let the man point a gun at his head and pull the trigger! How could he have given up so easily?! He almost _died!_

"You imbecile! You were just going to let him kill you?! If I hadn't been here, you would be _dead!_" Robin looked up at Slade, his eyes wide open from the shock of having nearly died. Slade walked up and slapped Robin across the face with all of the might that he had, sending Robin flying to the floor. "After all I have done for YOU! And you are just going to go and commit suicide! I think not! After I am done with you, you will wish that he _had_ killed you," Slade barked. Robin was already halfheartedly wishing that he had been killed. He didn't want to know what was going to happen to him tonight. His face began to swell as he lay on the ground in a pool of blood. Slade was towering over him, his suit also covered in blood. Robin was certain that not all of it was from the man lying on the floor in front of him.

"And after I specifically told you to kill anyone who attacked you!" Slade grabbed Robin and dragged him to his feet. Robin could see the fury in his eye and began to look away, not wanting to see it. Slade gripped Robin's chin and forced his head forward, his face inches from Robin's. "Just you _wait_ until we get home," he whispered.

-Jump City: Present Day-

Cyborg returned from working on his car during the mid-afternoon. Beast Boy had woken up around one and was now in his bedroom. Raven had once again retreated to the roof, this time to read a book in Latin, and Starfire had remained in her bedroom to tend to Silkie. They would all reconvene for dinner in about two hours, assuming that they all showed up. There were often absences, but Cyborg tried his best to maintain a "family" dinner.

He walked into the ops room and looked around, feeling satisfied with his day's work. He walked to the sink and started to wash the grease off of his hands, though the rest of his body remained filthy. He would take a shower later. Right now, Cyborg just wanted to sit back and relax. He walked to the couch and sat down with a moan; there was nothing better than some peace and relaxation after working hard on the T-car. They would have to go somewhere soon, stretch his baby's legs out a bit. He hated having it sit in the garage all day. They really needed to go out, not only for the car, but for them. None of them had left the tower in over a month, except for Cyborg, and that was only to get food.

They had really been slacking lately and the city was falling apart because of it. The problem wasn't that they were lazy; it was that they were just too depressed to go out and do anything. They just couldn't do it without Robin, it was too disheartening. The last few times they responded to calls, they got their butts handed to them. It just ended up leaving them injured and making the situation worse. How were they supposed to fight when Starfire couldn't even fly? When Raven couldn't concentrate?

Cyborg shook his head, trying to clear his mind of the gloomy thoughts, and sighed. He didn't know what to do. It was like they were living a lie. They kept pretending to be Titans, but they weren't. They were just a bunch of teenagers trying to get through the day without there being a mental breakdown in the house. He didn't know how much longer he could take it. They all knew that they were just pretending, but no one mentioned it, because if they did, then they would have to confront it. And none of them could do so. They couldn't face the truth, because it would mean having to give up the charade, and none of them wanted to think about what would happen afterwards. So, for now, they all buried the knowledge deep inside themselves, each trying to cope with it their own way.

Cyborg opened his eyes, wanting to distract himself from his thoughts, and looked over at the computer. _Might as well finish checking…_ He was becoming more and more doubtful about the lead in New York every day. He didn't even know why he looked anymore. He insisted that it was to appease Beast Boy, but really it was for him. Looking at the news made him feel like he hadn't given up, like he was doing something. But as each day passed, he had less and less hope. Now, he wasn't even sure that he had any left in him, and he didn't want to admit it to himself. He couldn't admit that he had given up on Robin. So, he checked his news every day, just to appease his own mind.

Cyborg turned on the computer and went to the New York Post, scrolling down through the articles from today. _Nothing…. Nothing…. Nothing… 'Up and Coming Biotech company attacked'… _Cyborg remembered seeing this article earlier today, but was interrupted before he could read it. He opened the article and began to read.

"_This morning at approximately 1:00 a.m. an up and coming Biotech Company was attacked. Reports state that an entire room within the lab was blown up, destroying the majority of the company's experiments and causing a massive setback in the development of several chemicals. Police are unsure as to whether this was an attack on the company or a theft that ended badly. Several of the company's workers reported seeing a very young 'scientist' walking around the seventh floor in a lab suit, something that the scientists affirmed that they do not do. It was also reported that a small flash bomb had been set off on the second floor and that a security guard had been drugged. Police believe that this was a way of trying to disarm the security system, as it was guarded by the three men that had reported the flash and drugging. The police made a statement saying that they would have a description of the offender in question in a few days' time. They are currently investigating the purpose of the attack and have refused to release any more information about the chemicals that were destroyed. Neuro Link Inc. is a nearly two year old company that has revolutionized-"_

Cyborg glanced over the rest of the article, not particularly paying attention to the information that was provided about the company at the end. He was more concerned about the actual "attack". _Could it be?_ The article did say that the man was young and it sounded like something Slade would do: stealing a chemical, using flash bombs, blowing up a room; but why would he do something so public? Weren't they trying to keep a low profile? Why would they blow up an entire room, alerting the police? This had to be an amateur… but then again, it could have been a mission gone wrong. There are tons of young thieves out there…_ But young thieves that use flash bombs?_

Cyborg definitely wanted to look further into this; hopefully the description of the thief would be released soon. This could really be Robin, but then again, it could really be nothing. Cyborg could feel a familiar nervous feeling in his stomach, the same feeling that he had the last time that they thought they had a lead. What if it is Robin? What if we finally found him? Cyborg was feeling very conflicted about the news; Raven would never go for it, but Beast Boy and Starfire would. Bringing Starfire into this would be cruel though, and Beast Boy never did use much logic when trying to find Robin. Should he tell them?

He really saw potential in this, perhaps they should go to New York, just to check on things. They would be better able to evaluate what was going on from there rather than here. Here, they were limited to newspaper articles; but there, they could use the information that the police had, they could investigate the crime scene, they could even scope out the abandoned buildings of the city. That's where Slade always had his hideouts and it would be their best bet_. That was it_, it was final, he was going to talk to Raven about it later tonight. _Hopefully she will listen…_

Cyborg could hear a rustling behind him as he researched the theft further. Beast Boy was rummaging through a bag of Doritos, trying to get the very last of the crumbs out. He was leaning on the counter in the kitchen as he looked at Cyborg. "Dude, last night was really fun! We should totally do that again," he yelled across the room. Cyborg nodded, his eyes not leaving the computer screen.

"Yeah we should," he mumbled, his mind elsewhere in deep thought.

"I mean, we never do anything fun anymore, you know?" Beast Boy said as he licked his fingers. He threw the bag into the trash after flipping it inside out and licking the surface.

"Yeah…" Cyborg mumbled, more to himself than to Beast Boy. _Yeah, I will talk to Raven….See what she makes of it…_

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Please review and tell me what you think! Thank you for reading!


	9. Whips and Chains

-The Disclaimer is in Chapter One-

This chapter is for Mireilles3. I didn't intend upon following up on the failed mission, but seeing as you wanted a punishment scene, I thought I should write it.

On another note, I was really sad to not get more reviews on the last chapter, I was really looking forward to reading your guys' opinions! Ah well, here is the next chapter! Enjoy!

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-Berlin: Less than a year and a half ago-

Slade dragged Robin by his legs across the cold, stone floor. Robin's hands were bleeding from clawing at the ground and most of his nails were completely broken off. His ankles were bruised from Slade's death grip on them and he was screaming for him to let go. He was truly afraid; on the car ride home, he could tell that it took everything Slade had not to beat him right there. He was used to being kicked around, but he knew that this time would be different.

The fabric of his suit was chaffing against his stomach as he slid across the floor. He tried to look behind him to see Slade, but he couldn't lift his torso off the floor; his back was too sore from being thrown against the wall at the drug warehouse earlier. He lowered his head as they began turning, giving up on trying to see where they were going. Slade let go of one his feet and began opening a door. Looking to his left, Robin could see what looked like a mortuary, fitted with a steel table and drains. He immediately started to kick with all of his might and Slade grabbed his flailing foot, pulling him through the doorway.

Robin grabbed at the edges of the door, holding on for dear life. Slade tugged at him harder, stretching out his back and causing him to growl in pain. He continued to pull at Robin's legs, tightening his grip on his ankles. "Let me go you sick fuck!" Robin screamed as his hands began to slip from the door frame. He did not want to be anywhere near this room. Slade let go of his legs and let him drop to the floor, much to Robin's surprise. He fell to the ground with a grunt and started to crawl away. Slade stepped over him, bent down, and grabbed his arms. He flipped him onto his back and sat on his torso with all of his weight.

Robin started to throw punches, but Slade caught his hands and held them above his head. Using his unoccupied hand, he slowly pulled off Robin's mask, wanting to see the fear in his eyes. Robin clenched his eyes shut and turned his head to the side as Slade began to remove his own mask. Robin had seen him without his mask for the first time a few weeks ago and Slade had used it as a scare tactic ever since. "Look at me," Slade commanded and Robin shook his head. "Look-At-Me," he growled slowly and threateningly; Robin shook his head again. With a snarl, Slade stood up and began to pull Robin further into the room by his arms. Robin kept his eyes shut and started to dig what was left of his nails into Slade's palms.

Slade dropped Robin's hands and lifted him by his armpits onto the steel table. Robin immediately tried to scramble off of the table, but Slade quickly tied his hands to the edges of the table with leather straps. He then moved down to his feet, tying them up as well. "Let me go!" Robin yelled to the man standing behind him. He was lying face down on the table, his cheek resting against the cold steel. Slade tightened the ties around his ankles and Robin hissed in pain, he could feel blood dripping down his toes.

Slade walked over to a counter to the right and Robin turned his head to watch him. It was like a giant workbench full of tools, except they weren't normal tools. Robin saw knives of every different shape and size, electrical wires, clamps, and many other odd looking devices that he did not know the use for. He started to breath heavily, nervous as to what Slade was going to do to him. He could see his breath fogging on the table and he started to tremble. Slade was fiddling with something on the table that Robin could not see. "Let me GO!" he tried again, but to no avail.

Slade came walking back from the table, a long black rope-like object in his hand. _Is that a whip?!_ Robin began to squirm as Slade trailed his fingers along his neck. His hand settled upon the zipper at the top of his suit and started to pull it down. "What are you _doing?!"_ Robin gasped in alarm. Slade continued to pull the zipper down until it reached the small of his back, exposing his partially bruised spine.

"This is a perfectly good suit. Wouldn't want to ruin it," he stated, his voice eerily calm now. Robin continued to squirm as Slade pulled the entire torso of the suit down to his hips. He could feel his face flushing and he turned beet red. Was this seriously happening?Slade looked down at his perfectly smooth, unmarred skin._ Better remedy that_. He pulled the whip up and Robin started to struggle against his restraints.

A resounding _crack_ echoed throughout the room and Robin hissed, trying to hold back a scream. He wouldn't give Slade the satisfaction. "Don't you _ever_ try anything like that again!" Slade barked as he forced the whip down again. Robin grunted as the whip sliced his skin and he dug his fingers into the restraints, trying to distract himself from the pain. He could feel cold air on the fresh cuts as Slade continued to mercilessly whip him. "If you so much as try to escape me _or_ your own life," Slade began, holding the whip high in the air, "I will brutally murder everyone that you know and love." He brought the whip down with all of his strength, making Robin scream out in agony.

"Slade stop! Please! Just stop!" Robin begged. _So much for dignity…_ He didn't care anymore; he just wanted the pain to stop. Slade stopped for a few moments and Robin let out a sigh of relief, tears streaming down his face.

"Maybe next time you will use the gun I provide you with," Slade snarled and brought the whip down upon Robin's skin again. His blood curdling scream echoed throughout the entire building. It would have sent chills down anyone's spine, except of course, Slade. He seemed to relish it, or so Robin thought. The truth was, Slade didn't particularly like beating Robin. It's not that he didn't enjoy it; he just did not seek it out. If it came, then he would make the most of it, but if not, it didn't bother him. It was really all about the power for him, he loved the control. That was what he enjoyed. He actually never intended upon using this room on Robin, but he was just so angry at the thought of losing Robin that he couldn't help himself. He needed to teach him a lesson; he needed to teach Robin not to die.

He never planned for Robin to have to fight that man, especially considering that he would have posed a challenge for even Slade himself. The man was not only a former KGB fighter who got banned for killing his opponents, but also a top of the line bodyguard. If you were anyone important, then that man would have been your best bet at survival, assuming that you could afford him. What he was doing in the damn lobby, Slade did not know… He was actually looking for him when he came across the fight. He would have intervened, but seeing as Robin had a gun, he thought it the perfect opportunity for a first time kill. But of course, Robin had to be all morally upstanding. He would have to change that, _and soon. _

After having his fill with the whip, Slade put it down and walked to the other side of the table. Robin had his eyes tightly shut and tears were streaming down his face. His lips were quivering and bleeding from biting the skin off of them during the last few lashes. Slade knelt down and leaned in, grabbing Robin's chin with his hand. "From now on, you will do as I say," he commanded. Robin opened his eyes and looked at the white haired man with disgust.

"Fuck you!" Robin spat, looking Slade dead in the eye. He wasn't one who cursed often, but he figured that considering the circumstances, he could make an exception. Slade's eye narrowed and he leaned in closer, his face just inches from Robin's.

"You are _mine,_" he purred and then tightened his grip on Robin's chin before throwing his face back to the table. He stood up and walked over to the table to grab his next device of torture. "And you are going to wish that you didn't say that."

…

Slade walked over to the workbench, his hands covered in blood. Robin had passed out from the pain and was now lying completely still on the table. He set down a small syringe and looked at the instruments strewn across the bench. There was a small surgical knife, perhaps the sharpest knife he owned. _I will have to mark Robin as my own one day…_ _Perhaps a nice S across the neck or back, or maybe even the chest. Directly over the heart would be appropriate… _He liked that idea; his insignia, directly over Robin's heart. How fitting…

He picked up a small bottle and injected the needle into it, sucking the liquid into the syringe. Above him were several cabinets that held various medical supplies. He opened the first and pulled out a small towel, a large pile of square cloth, and several wraps and bandages. In the second, he pulled out a tub of rubbing alcohol, stitches, and a tub of powder that was meant to stop bleeding. He opened the third, but saw that he needed nothing out of it.

He walked over to the table that Robin was lying on and placed the materials on a small surgeon's table next to him. The small towel was soaking in warm water and Slade pulled it out before wiping Robin down. Blood and water began to drip off of the table and drain into the floor. For several minutes he went back and forth between wiping Robin off and soaking the towel in the now pink water. Robin's back was becoming clean enough to see the damage that Slade had inflicted. There were over a dozen lashes, several of which were very deep and still bleeding. The majority of his skin was bruised, although his spine had been bruised before Slade even started. There were also several other cuts that had not been inflicted by a whip and three of his fingers were broken. That had been an accident, Slade never meant to damage Robin's hands, he needed those to train.

It looked like Robin would be bed ridden for a few days and unable to work out for a few weeks, which angered Slade. Even though it was his own fault, he was still unhappy that Robin would be getting so much time off. He set the towel down and twisted the cap off of the tub of rubbing alcohol. If Robin were to be awake for this next part, he might just pass out from the pain again. He began to pour the liquid onto Robin's back, cleaning out all of the gashes. Even though he was passed out cold, Robin stirred slightly. His body must have been reacting to the pain and Slade wondered if he was dreaming about it.

He took the towel and once again ran it over Robin's back, cleaning off the extra alcohol. The table was now coated in pink, the blood and water flowing all around Robin's body before dripping onto the floor. Slade's shoes were also soaked as he worked around Robin and his uniform was splattered with dark red blood. He was slightly concerned that Robin was going to lose too much blood, that was what ultimately made him decide to stop. He would have kept going even after Robin passed out, but he didn't want to kill the boy. That would be counterproductive.

Several of the most deep seated gashes were starting to bleed again and Slade doused the powder onto them. He then proceeded to stitch up the cuts that needed it before bandaging them. After washing his hands off in the dirty water, he walked down to Robin's feet and untied them. He would have to tend to them as well. While untying his hands, he looked down at Robin's tear stained face. He never realized how young the boy looked. He had only seen Robin awake, seeing him asleep was like looking at a child. He no longer looked mature and worn, but young and innocent. Not liking the look of innocence at the moment, Slade walked over to the rubbing alcohol and poured it over Robin's ankles and wrists. He then pulled Robin up into a sitting position. Even while completely dead weight, Robin was still very light. Perhaps he should bulk Robin up a bit…but then again, he had always liked that quality about him. He could fit into smaller spaces; it made for a better thief. Plus, he was very easy to overpower.

Slade wrapped Robin's ribcage several times with different types of tape and bandages, wanting to get some good compression. He was certain that he had broken at least three ribs, but there could have been more. Robin would definitely take a while to recover… _Damn it…_ Well, at least he could work on breaking him mentally during that time. He knew it wouldn't be easy, Robin was very tough. Timothy was a very large step forward, but he still had a long way to go. So how was he going to truly break him? _What would really kill the boy inside?_

Slade set Robin back down onto the table and pulled the bloody bodysuit off. How was he going to get Robin to kill for the first time? He wouldn't even kill in the name of self defense; he was just willing to die, though he did seem to be shocked about it afterwards. He probably honestly scared himself enough to not walk into getting murdered again, but Slade had to be sure. He would have to do something drastic to get Robin to act, but what? He pulled a pair of sweats over Robin's legs before grabbing a small undershirt. It would be best to make him wear a tight shirt to help with the compression.

After having dressed Robin, he threw him over his shoulder and walked out of the room. It would be best to keep an eye on him tonight, just to be safe. He walked through the halls before arriving to his own bedroom. He wouldn't have a problem with Robin staying there; he didn't plan on sleeping much tonight anyways. He needed to do some serious planning, not only for the city, but also for Robin. He set Robin down onto the bed and walked over to his desk, where he would remain for the rest of the night, planning the future carefully.

…

Robin woke up the next morning around dawn, still exhausted from last night. He opened his eyes and began to look around. After a few moments of blissful ignorance, he started to realize that he wasn't at home. "Where am I?"

"My bedroom," a cold voice replied from the corner of the room. Robin looked over to see Slade sitting in a chair, facing him with his hands crossed in his lap. He jolted up and hissed in pain as he grabbed his ribs. "Don't move so suddenly, it isn't good for your broken ribs," Slade stated.

"What the hell am I doing in _your _bedroom?" Robin gasped. He was mortified, why was he in Slade's bedroom?! He didn't want to be anywhere near Slade, let alone in his bed!

"Calm down," he drawled, seemingly bored with the conversation, "I needed to watch you for the night, just in case something happened." Robin glared at him for a while before looking down at his body. How did he get into these clothes? He had never worn these before. _Did Slade change me?!_ He tried to remember back yesterday. _Why do I feel so sore? _With a look of stun dawning upon his face, he recalled the events of last night.

It wasn't so much the torture that traumatized him, it was the fact that he almost died. How could he have let that happen? Why did he just accept death so easily? Sure, things with Slade were bad, but not bad enough to commit suicide! He may have thought about it from time to time, but he was never serious. And he just decided to go through with it yesterday?! What was he thinking?! It still wasn't right to shoot that man, but he could have at least gotten up and fought. He could have _not_ dropped the gun on the floor where the man could grab it. Now that he thought of it, he had lots of options, none of them being suicide.

Seeing Robin's look of astonish, Slade stood up. "I assume that you have learned your lesson?" he asked. Robin continued to stare into space and Slade snapped his fingers. "Robin!" he shouted. Robin's eyes re-focused and he looked up at Slade. "Have you learned your lesson?" he repeated.

"What?" Robin looked genuinely confused. What was he supposed to have learned?

"Not to let anyone kill you!" Sometimes Slade doubted Robin's intelligence. Robin's face changed to an expression of understanding.

"Oh, no, I don't know what came over me," he admitted, not particularly knowing why he was divulging the information to Slade. He must be very tired. Robin pulled the sheets up to his neck; suddenly feeling exposed despite being fully clothed. He really didn't like the idea of being in Slade's bedroom.

"So next time someone is attacking you, I expect you to finish them," Slade commanded. Robin stared at him blankly, not knowing what to say. If he said no, then he would probably get every other rib he had broken. But if he said yes, then he would be agreeing to commit murder. He was at a standstill.

He opened his mouth and made a small throaty sound before closing it again. He truly did not know what to say to that. He still didn't even understand how he felt about yesterday. Killing criminals was a very gray area; it was too easy to go the wrong way, to fall into darkness. He was always taught that it was wrong, no matter what. But, is it if absolutely necessary? Would it be okay to kill someone in self defense? His head was beginning to hurt from all of the philosophical and ethical thinking.

Slade could see the internal struggle in Robin and smiled in satisfaction. It was working, he was getting Robin to think, and that was the first step. All he would need to do is find an ethical conundrum to confuse Robin and then, boom: assassin in training. And Slade knew exactly how to make that happen. He had spent all night planning, and he had come up with the perfect strategy. There was no way Robin was going to get out of this one…

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Yes, I know, it was a bit short and unnecessary... But it is kind of an in-between chapter... The next will be more along the lines of my usual chapters.

Please for the sake of all that is good, review! I love reading reviews! Thank you!


	10. The Voice of Reason

-The Disclaimer is in Chapter One-

In honor of making it to Chapter Ten, especially considering that I never intended to write a full story based off of Chapter One, I would like to thank **Mireilles3**, **dlsky**, and **RachelClaire **for continuing to support Finding Robin and for writing regular reviews! Couldn't do it without you guys!

Considering that I never thought I would get one review or follower, I would like to thank you all! So, here is a nice long chapter for you! Sorry it took so long!

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-Jump City: Present Day-

Raven strolled into the main ops room, Cyborg having asked her to meet with him there when the room was clear. She could see him sitting on the couch, a look of anticipation on his face. _This can't be good._ She could feel the nerves flowing off of him and it was beginning to affect her. He turned his body to face her and greeted her with a wave of the hand and a slight smile.

She strode over to the couch with confidence and sat down opposite of him. "What is it that you wanted to talk about?" she asked as she crossed her legs, her tone professional. All she knew was that Cyborg had something serious to discuss with her. He looked around the room guardedly, making sure that Starfire and Beast Boy were still gone.

"Thanks for agreeing to speak with me. First of all, I would like to ask you to keep an open mind and stay throughout the entire conversation, please." She nodded solemnly and Cyborg sat up straighter. _Here we go…_ "I have been thinking about this from every angle and I want your opinion." She looked at him inventively, her face remaining unreadable. "I would like to go to New York," he stated with gravity.

He studied Raven's face, waiting for her response. She sat there, unmoving and completely silent. Her face remained impassive; giving Cyborg no clue as to what she was thinking. "Why is that?" she asked calmly. She was trying her best to do as he asked and keep an open mind, but it was very difficult. Perhaps he had found something, though she highly doubted it. She fought the temptation to get up and walk away.

_ "_I read a news report today that led me to believe that New York is worth visiting. I still have my doubts as to whether or not it has anything to do with Robin, but we would be better informed if we went there," he mused, trying to appeal to her logical side. Raven took a deep breath and blinked slowly.

"What did the report say?" _Keep an open mind…. Keep an open mind… He is your friend… Keep an open mind… _Cyborg could tell that she was already having a hard time listening to him.

"Someone attacked a biotech company yesterday. It is believed that the company may have been robbed and the attacker was described as a young male disguised as a scientist." Raven's face remained unresponsive as he spoke, "A flash bomb was used to distract the guards in the security room and half of the lab was blown up."

"And _how_ does this pertain to Robin?" Raven was trying to contain her agitation, but her façade was already falling apart at the seams. She had been having problems controlling her emotions lately when it came to new 'leads'. She was just so done with the disappointment, with the false hope, with the visits, with it all.

"Like I said, I am not sure if this has to do with Robin, but something is going on in New York. I think it is worth investigating," he explained.

"And we cannot do that from home?" she asked tensely.

"We will have better recourses there. We only have access to what makes it to the news here, but there, we could really look into it." He was trying his best to appeal to her reasoning, but she was not having it.

"Cyborg, in a major city like New York, there will be crime. You could find similar reports in any other city and claim that it is Robin, but that does not make it any more plausible," she reasoned. Cyborg could see her point, but what if it was Robin? What if they missed him just because they were doubtful? It was worth a shot, wasn't it?

"Raven, I understand your reservations, but what if we let him slip through our fingers again?" he asked as she winced slightly. "What if this is really him? And we miss saving him just because we couldn't make a simple trip to New York? And even if it isn't, and I understand why you believe that, is it not worth looking into? I mean, this is Robin we are talking about…this is our friend we are talking about." He kept his voice calm and coherent, not wanting to anger her into leaving the room.

"The thing is, Cyborg, this is not Robin. I do not honestly see how you, with your logical mind, made a connection between that news article and Robin. Tech companies get robbed all of the time, and it sounds to me like it was sabotaged, not robbed." Cyborg was about to interrupt her when she stopped him, "It has been two years Cyborg, be honest, we are never, _ever_, going to find him! Slade is too cunning to let that happen; he would never attack a company and make national news. It is too public, too easy…." She paused and leaned forward, looking him in the eyes. "After all that we have been through, after all the cities we have gone to, after all the disappointment? Do you honestly want to do that again? I don't think the team can handle a loss again, Cyborg." He sighed and looked down, not wanting her to see him break.

"Why can't you just let go? Really, bringing this up now? Especially after last night? It was the first time in almost two years that we had a night together where Robin wasn't mentioned. It was the first time in almost two years that we have truly, genuinely enjoyed ourselves. Do you honestly want to mess that up? We are finally starting to move on, Cyborg. Why can't you see that?" Cyborg looked at her in disbelief; he couldn't believe that was giving up. "Don't look at me like that; I know that you have given up any real hope of finding Robin. You just won't admit it to yourself." Cyborg looked down shamefully, seeing some truth in what she had just said.

He sat there, thinking her words over for several minutes before finding something to say. "That may be true, I may have lost hope, but that doesn't mean that I have given up on Robin. He is our friend and he deserves our best effort in rescuing him," he sighed as he looked back up into her eyes. She could see the determination and pain in his face.

"We_ have_ given our best effort Cyborg! We have given all that we have, and then some! You have seen what all of this incessant searching has done to our team! We aren't even a team anymore!" she shouted, her temper flaring. She stopped and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself and gain control. _Peace, Calm, Tranquility… Peace, Calm, Tranquility… _She sighed and opened her eyes to look at Cyborg.

"I know…." he whispered, his face desolate. They all knew that they weren't a team; Raven was just the first one to admit it. Her eyes softened and she walked over to him, placing her hand on his shoulder and looking deep into his sorrowful eyes.

"I am sorry, but you need to stop looking for him in places that he isn't. You need to move on; _we _need to move on. We can't keep living like this Cyborg, it will destroy us," she said softly. Behind her emotionless persona, her heart was breaking. She hated giving up on Robin, but it was what was best for the team. And if she had to be the bad guy, then so be it.

"ARE YOU EVEN KIDDING ME?!" A voice shouted from the corner, full of rage. Raven and Cyborg both jumped and looked over to the source of the noise, thinking that they were alone. In the kitchen stood a heaving and red faced Beast Boy. "ARE YOU EVEN _KIDDING_ ME?!" he repeated, this time with more emphasis. He stormed over to the couch and stopped abruptly, standing several feet from Raven. "HOW COULD YOU?! _You… you… you_ heartless _bitch_!" he spat. Raven looked at him, her expression indifferent and seemingly un-phased by what he had just called her.

Cyborg stood up, facing Beast Boy with his hand on Raven's shoulder. "Hey man, don't call her that. She is just looking out for the team."

Beast Boy glared at Cyborg, the fury practically pouring off of him. "NO! She is just looking out for herself! And you are defending her?! After what she just said about Robin?!" Raven pulled Cyborg's hand off of her and turned to face the blazing Beast Boy.

"BB, calm down. She is just being reasonable," Cyborg pointed out, trying to diffuse the situation before it blew up. But he knew that no matter what he did, when it came to Raven and Beast Boy, he couldn't stop an explosive situation.

"NO! She is just being cold-blooded!" He looked Raven directly in the eyes, "You may not care about finding Robin, but we do! So stop trying to convince everyone else otherwise, you… you pathetic-"

"Beast Boy!" Cyborg interjected, trying to stop him from calling her any more names. Raven just stood there, looking at Beast Boy with a wary eye. She never knew what he was going to do in these types of situations. Beast Boy looked at Cyborg for a moment before stepping closer to Raven and looking up into her face with determination. She held her ground as he stood inches away from her, breathing on her neck.

"Why don't you just _leave…_ And I don't mean going to your room, I mean really leave! Like get out of the tower!" Raven tried her best to not slap him across the face right then. "If you don't care about Robin anymore, then you have no place on this team or in this tower," he asserted.

"I am not leaving my home just because you have a problem with handling the truth," she said coolly. He raised his hand and Cyborg ran to him, holding it back. Raven stepped back in astonishment; did he seriously just raise a hand to her? "Do not threaten me," she growled.

"Look, why don't we all just calm down?" Cyborg pleaded as he held Beast Boy's arm back. Raven glared down at Beast Boy crossly, trying to listen to Cyborg's reasoning. The doors slid open and Cyborg looked up while the other two continued to glare at each other. "Oh, great…" he mumbled under his breath.

"Is there something wrong? I heard shouting," a soft voice asked concernedly. Raven looked back at the yawning Tameranian, becoming more displeased how things were going. These two weren't even supposed to be here in the first place! And why did everything have to turn into a fight with Beast Boy? _Immature child… _

"No Star, we were just having a discussion," Cyborg reassured. He looked down at the fuming Beast Boy with worry. _Please, don't do it Beast Boy… Don't do it…_

"We are just arguing because _RAVEN_ wants us to give up on finding Robin completely!" he bellowed across the room. Cyborg sighed in disappointment and Raven shook her head at Beast Boy in contempt. _Why Beast Boy, why? _He couldn't just leave it be, no, he had to go and involve Starfire!

Starfire glanced at Raven with a look of confused betrayal, tears beginning to form in her eyes. "What? Why would you want to do that?" she asked Raven, her tone sweet and sad. The sound of her voice combined with the expression on her face was heartbreaking. Beast Boy felt a small twinge of regret, but not enough to make him take it back. Raven deserved what was coming to her. It was long overdue…

"I didn't say that I wanted to give up on Robin completely," she shot Beast Boy a glare; "I just said that maybe it was time that we started moving on." Starfire covered her mouth with her hands and started to shake her head, tears now streaming down her face.

"See, look what you did!" Beast Boy accused and Raven turned around to look at him with astonishment.

"_Excuse_ me?"

"That's right! This is all your fault! See what you did!" Starfire's face was now red and tears began to fall down her cheeks as she stared in disbelief at Raven.

"_You_ are the one who said something to her! How could you do that?! You know how badly she takes it! Was that some way of getting back at me? Because if so, you are truly _pathetic!_" she hissed, trying not to let Starfire hear. Beast Boy stood his ground, staring at her with an expression of victory. There was no way Starfire would side with _her._ There was no way she was going to get away with it this time.

Cyborg walked over to Starfire and started to wrap his arms around her shoulders to console her, but she shrugged him off and walked further into the room. "I do not understand! Why would you want to stop looking for Robin?" she asked, her voice rising in volume.

"I am just saying that we should try to move on, it is what is best for the team." Raven could feel this going badly fast and was trying to get control of the situation before it got out of hand. Not that she could with Beast Boy in the room.

"How is that what is best for the team?!" she shouted, her usual sweet tone completely gone. "Is Robin not a part of the team?" she asked shakily. Raven stood there with her mouth slightly open, not knowing what to say. Beast Boy walked over to Starfire and stood at her side while Cyborg stood behind the two, watching the situation turn sour.

"Why will you not answer me?!" she shouted, her body swelling with anger. The two glared at Raven from across the couch, bearing down on her with their rage.

"Star," Raven started.

"NO! You are a traitor! If you give up on Robin, then you give up on us!" Beast Boy nodded in conjecture, glad that he was finally being sided with. Raven stood there contemplating her options, not quite knowing what to do next. She basically had two choices: continue hopelessly looking for Robin or lose all of her friends. Searching for Robin made them all absolutely miserable, so what quality of life was that? Why couldn't they just see things from her point of view? Why did she always have to be the voice of reason? Couldn't someone else be the bad guy for once? She looked over to Cyborg for support, but he just gazed at her with glazed eyes, completely dumbfounded.

"Star-" Raven started, this time not being interrupted, "I don't know what to say." She truly didn't; what could she possibly say to diffuse the situation? _Oh don't worry Star, we will find him… Don't worry; it's only been two years… Don't worry; we are on the clutches of finding him for real this time…_ She could say all these things; the only problem was that they weren't true. Was it better to tell a lie to make her feel better or to tell the truth so that they could all move on?

"Then just _go_," Beast Boy spat. He looked at her face fixedly, his eyes full of resentment.

"Beast Boy," Cyborg moaned. He didn't want things to go this way; he didn't want the team to fight. It killed him that this was how they spoke to each other now; Robin would be so disappointed.

"No, it's fine Cyborg." Raven declared, not taking her eyes away from Beast Boy's. "Beast Boy is right, maybe I should just go," she exhaled. Starfire's anger had subsided and she was now sobbing into her hands, not knowing what to do or say. She didn't want Raven to go, but she had said such horrible things! How could she give up on their leader and friend?!

Raven started to walk towards the front doors. "Raven!" Cyborg shouted to her back, trying to get her to come back. The doors closed behind her and he stood there looking at them for a few moments before turning on Beast Boy. "That was _not_ cool, BB."

"She deserved it," he murmured. Starfire started to cry harder next to him and the two looked at her. _Why couldn't you just keep your mouth shut BB? Why?_

"Star, it'll be okay, we'll-" Cyborg started, but she ran out of the room, heading to her bedroom to cry. "Keep… looking for him…" he trailed off as the doors closed behind her. Beast Boy stood across from him, his expression defiant. "That was unnecessary BB," he sighed.

Beast Boy gazed at him before beginning to walk towards the doors. "Whatever," he mumbled as he passed Cyborg, leaving the robotic teenager with a look of astonishment on his face. _Why can't anything go right with us anymore… _

-Nearly a year and a half ago-

"Is this ever going to be done?" Beast Boy complained. He was standing in the main ops room across from Cyborg and Starfire. The room smelled of wood chips and paint and every surface in the room was covered in plastic, from the floor to the roof. It was even taped around the newly installed windows, warping the light that entered into the room. The beams fell at odd angles all along the plastic and Beast Boy had been admiring them before succumbing to boredom and griping.

"Be happy that we have a floor BB," Cyborg retorted. The floor was a new installation. The explosion not only caved the floor in, but it also destroyed the structure of the beams below. It took over three months to get the room to be structurally stable enough for a floor to be properly installed.

It had been about four months since Robin was kidnapped and the Titans were still recuperating from the attack. They had been spending the past four months supervising reconstruction and searching for Robin in every possible place. They were determined; there was no time for mourning with Robin out there, waiting to be found. Cyborg didn't want the team to fall apart under emotional stress, so he made sure to emphasize that they needed to focus on searching, not crying. So, on the outside, they all seemed to have it together. They were rebuilding and researching with strength, none of them faltering even once. But of course, when alone, each had to deal with the loss. That was why they preferred not to be alone, they were afraid to be. Well, most of them were…

"I'm just saying, it has been four months! We built this room from scratch faster than that years ago! What's taking so long?" Beast Boy whined. He was sick of having to do all of the work in the lobby, it just didn't feel right. Plus, it was on a completely different floor than their rooms, and he was sick of going back and forth all day.

"We have been a little busy with more pressing matters Beast Boy," Cyborg explained. It was true, had they not been searching all day and night for Robin, the room would have been done months ago. But he wasn't about to put Robin on hold just so that they could be more comfortable.

Beast Boy, having nothing to say, transformed into a gorilla and lifted up a large box. He carried it over to Cyborg and dropped it onto the floor with a large _thud_. "Yo! BB! We_ just_ got these floors! Don't go messing them up already!" Beast Boy beat his chest with his fists several times before transforming back into a human and walking away chuckling. _At least someone still has a sense of humor…_ Cyborg rolled his eyes at Beast Boy's back and continued to pull appliances out of the boxes.

"The kitchen is almost done?" Starfire's soft voice asked. They had been eating take out for months and she missed cooking her Tameranian dishes, not that she really had much motivation to do so anyways. Cyborg looked up at her and nodded.

"Yeah, that's why we are finally installing the appliances. It should be up and running in a week," he replied, continuing to pull small objects out of the boxes. Starfire lifted a large slate of countertop above her head and walked over to the kitchen.

"Where do I place the top-counter?" she asked, holding the slab like it was a large feather. Cyborg walked over and directed her towards the newly painted counters. Together, they placed the granite slate down and fastened it. Across the room, Beast Boy was sitting on a plastic wrapped couch, making screeching noises as he wiggled around.

"Hey, where is Raven?" he shouted across the room. Neither Starfire nor Cyborg looked up as they adjusted the counter. "I mean, shouldn't she be helping?" he declared. He wasn't so much unhappy about her not helping, as he was unhappy about her missing company. Ever since the attack, she had been more silent and reclusive than usual. _And that was saying something._ Even when she was with them, something felt off. Her persona was impassive as usual, but she just felt different. She even stopped insulting Beast Boy's jokes; in fact, she stopped responding to anything that wasn't work related completely.

"Ummm, I'm not sure…" Cyborg sighed, "Probably in her room." He wished that she would spend more time with the team; it would be good for her. He didn't even want to imagine what she did alone all day. Personally, he believed that she took it the hardest. Although Starfire seemed to be the most distressed on the outside, she was still very hopeful; but Raven, she seemed to be shattered. Of course, the other two didn't see what Cyborg did. He often wondered if he was the most perceptive person in the house.

Beast Boy stood up and made towards the door, "I'm going to go find her," he declared. Cyborg turned around to face the boy as he strode towards the entrance.

"I'm not sure that's such a good idea; she probably wants to be alone. It might be best to just leave her be," Cyborg stated. He didn't feel like angering her today. Today was supposed to be relaxing and fun.

"Nah, she needs to get her butt out here and enjoy our company!" Beast Boy seemed unusually upbeat today. Perhaps it was the new floors or the new found lead on Robin; but whatever it was, it seemed to put a bounce in his step. He strolled out of the room, leaving Cyborg and Starfire to continue installing the appliances alone.

...

Inside her room, Raven could hear three faint knocks. _Please, go away._ She was in the middle of a very interesting book and did not want to be disturbed. She just hoped that whoever it was would leave. _Knock, knock, knock… _She sighed in frustration and placed the book face down on the bed. "What?" she asked, standing a few feet from the door.

On the other side of the door, Beast Boy could hear a faint voice. He stood up straight, trying to build up his courage, and began to speak. "Hey, I was just thinking that-um- you should come out and help us with the ops room," he mumbled. _That didn't come out right_; not only was his voice weak, but he made it sound like he just wanted her around to work. In reality, he wanted her company.

"Beast Boy, you are going to have to speak louder if you want me to understand you," she said. All she had heard was a faint mumble. _What could he possibly want? _She just wanted to go back and finish her book. The truth was, books were her greatest escape. Not meditation, not sipping tea, but reading. Books allowed her go into another world and forget all of her troubles, and she liked that.

Beast Boy rested his hand against the door and leaned his entire weight on it, letting his head hang. "Look Rae, just open the door." He didn't want to talk through a wall, it was too impersonal. "Please," he pleaded softly. His tone had struck her and she opened the door, causing Beast Boy to stumble forward. He stood up straight and examined her face.

"You asked me to open the door…when you were leaning on it?" she asked sarcastically.

"Well, honestly, I didn't expect you to open it," he laughed. Her face remained blank and he started to cough, letting the laughter die out. She looked at him, her face expectant, but he just stared back, his mind beginning to blank.

"So, did you come here to tell me something? Or did you just want to stare at me?" she asked, causing him to blush. He cleared his throat; somehow being around her always made him nervous. He didn't quite know why, but he just accepted it as fact; though it had gotten worse since Robin disappeared.

"We are out working on the ops room, and I just figured that you should- you know- like come out and help…" he rambled. She raised her eyebrows at the green boy in front of her.

"What is that supposed to mean?" she asked, her tone becoming slightly hostile. Beast Boy's face fell and he started shaking his head.

"No, no, no, no… I didn't mean it like that! I just meant that I, we would all like you to come and spend time with us…." _Genius… Man do I have a way with words… _She cocked her head for a moment before turning around and walking back towards her bed. Beast Boy stood in the doorway and hesitated before following her into her room. "Hasn't changed much since the last time I was here," he pointed. _Hasn't changed at all actually…._

She whipped around to look at the boy in her room. "Did I give you permission to come in?" she asked rhetorically. He was poking around in one of her shelves, looking at the strange objects that decorated it. "Beast Boy!" He jumped up, having nearly just touched a monkey's paw, and looked over. "Do-not-touch-anything!" she growled. Didn't he learn his lesson the last time he had come in her room? Or was being stuck in her mind not enough of an experience for him?

"Yeah, sorry…" he mumbled as he scratched the back of his neck. He walked over to where Raven was standing, stopping right in front of her. She didn't quite feel comfortable with how close he was standing to her, his aura was overwhelming. _He must be very nervous… _"Rae, don't take this the wrong way, but what's wrong?" he asked. This had taken her aback; she had not expected that to be the reason that he was here. "I mean, you have been more…antisocial… than usual and I just want to know if everything was okay…" he elaborated.

Had she really been that reclusive? Did the others notice? She pulled her hood over her face, hiding her features in a large shadow, much to Beast Boy's dismay. He hated when she hid under her hood. He felt like she was hiding from herself more than she was hiding from them.

"It's nothing, I have just really been into a book lately, that's all," she lied. Beast Boy may be gullible, but he wasn't stupid. He knew that she was going to lie before she even replied.

"For the past four months?" he asked humorously, trying to see her eyes through the hood.

"I read a lot of books Beast Boy, you know that." Her voice remained solid despite the fact that Beast Boy's face was leaning closer to hers. _What is he doing?_ After a few moments of him inching closer to her face she snapped. "What are you _doing?!_" She really didn't like it when people invaded her personal space, and Beast Boy had already done that when he entered her room. She might be able to tolerate him being there, but she could not put up with his face being that close to hers.

Beast Boy immediately backed up and looked down shamefully. "Can you take off your hood?" he asked softly. Raven felt kind of sorry for snapping at him, but then again, he was getting uncomfortably close to her. When she didn't respond, he decided to try a different approach. "I just want to see your face Raven, I hate it when you hide under your hood," he admitted nervously. _Hopefully she doesn't throw me out of the room for saying that… _

Raven looked at him thoughtfully; she didn't quite know what to make of that. Knowing that he was being genuine, she lowered her hood and looked away. "See? That wasn't so bad!" he teased, "I like it better that way!" He suddenly looked down at the floor as his face began to flush, feeling embarrassed about that last remark.

"So… you want help? Then let's get going," she said as made towards the door. Beast Boy could see right through her. He knew that she was just avoiding the topic.

"You didn't answer my question," he stated as he sat down on her bed. When she didn't respond, Beast Boy threw his arms into the air in exasperation. "See! This is your problem! You refuse to open up to anybody! We are your _friends_ Raven! I am your friend! And do you know what friends do?" he asked, pausing to look at her. "They help each other! But we can't help you if you refuse to tell us what's wrong!" His voice began to soften as it turned into a whisper, "Raven, you are not alone. You don't ever have to be alone… Even if you don't want to tell me what is bothering you, you still should. It helps, trust me! You can't just bottle it all up all the time, it isn't good for you! Just tell me and I promise… I promise that I will not judge you, that I will do my best to help you through it." She gawked at him, awestruck by his declaration. She never knew that Beast Boy cared so much.

She opened her mouth and a small sound escaped, but no words formed. She had never been speechless in her life. What was she supposed to even say to that? "Rae, please. I don't like seeing you this unhappy, it hurts me, it hurts all of us…" he murmured softly, standing and walking towards her. He placed his hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes. She tried to look away, but found that she couldn't. "Is it Robin?" he asked cautiously. She broke his gaze and walked over to her bed, sitting down where he had been a moment ago.

After a few moments of silence, she spoke, "I was there…"

"What?" He genuinely had no idea what that was supposed to mean…

"I was there when it happened…" she elaborated, this time slightly louder and clearer.

He walked over to the bed and sat down next to her, observing her profile. "Yeah, so was I…" he replied. He didn't understand where she was going with this, but decided to let her speak. This had been the furthest anyone had come with her in months.

"No, I was with Robin…" she stated; he could hear a faint tone of pain in her voice. "I was with him when he got kidnapped…" She continued looking down at the floor, trying to control her emotions. They had just finished patching up one hole in the tower, they didn't need another one.

Beast Boy watched her stare at the ground in concern; she had never said anything about the night that Robin went missing. They always just assumed that she didn't remember. "I was supposed to stay with him, but I left him in his room while I went wandering into the hallway…. If I wouldn't have left him alone…." she sighed, her voice catching. Beast Boy furrowed his eyebrows.

"Are you saying what I think you are saying?" he asked.

"If it wasn't for me, he would still be here. If I wasn't so stupid, if I would have just fought back…" she rambled before stopping. A large lump built up in her throat and she could feel her emotions starting to take over. Beast Boy grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her to face him, much to her surprise. He looked at her with an intensity that she had not seen in him before.

"What happened to Robin was not your fault! Do not _ever_ say that it was your fault!" he commanded, his voice powerful.

"But if I had just-" she attempted before being cut off.

"NO! You did everything that you could! We all did! How were we supposed to know what was going to happen to him?" he asked in all seriousness. She swallowed, not knowing what else to say, when he pulled her into a bear hug.

"Beast Boy…" she said uncomfortably. She was not someone who liked to hug…

"Raven, don't blame yourself… none of us, especially you, are to blame… You did everything you could and I am sure that he knows that," he whispered into her ear. "We are going to find him, but in the meantime, promise me that you will not blame yourself." He pulled her out of the hug and she opened her mouth, trying to find the words. "Promise me," he commanded. She nodded her head in compliance and he pulled her into a hug once again.

After a few moments of the embrace, Raven found her speech again. "Beast Boy, if you don't let me go, I will throw you out of the new windows in the ops room," she growled, causing him to laugh and pull back.

"That's the spirit!" he chuckled before standing up and making his way towards the door.

…

"Okay, that should just about do it. Looks like we are done for the day," Cyborg exclaimed happily while clapping his hands together to get the dust off of them. Starfire stood across from him, covered in grease and dust.

"There is nothing more that requires our effort?" she asked. They had finished installing the countertops, the refrigerator, and the sink, and there were large boxes and wrapping paper everywhere. "Do we not need to put in the cooking box?" she added, looking over to the large box containing the stove.

"Nah, we can do that tomorrow. The way I figure it, we deserve a break after a hard day's work!" he enthused. She nodded and pulled the rubber gloves off of her hands; she had been cleaning the appliances, making them look as new as they were. "Why don't you go and take a shower? Relax a bit?" he suggested.

"But what about our continuing of the search for Robin?" she asked, her voice choking up slightly towards the end of the sentence. They normally spent several hours each morning and night to search and she did not feel like taking the night off to 'relax'.

"I'll do that tonight, I just need to follow up on that lead in Germany. I'll be staring at a computer screen all night anyways, you don't need to suffer with me," he joked. Ever since expanding their search to other countries, they had found some promise in Berlin. He planned on researching it thoroughly online, but he really wanted to go and check on it in person… Little did he know that when they would get there, Robin and Slade would be long gone to another city… That this would be the vicious cycle for the next year and a half: going to a city, just to find that the lead was now dead. Little did he know how many times they would come close to truly finding Robin, but miss it by a day or two. If only he could know that after traveling to five or so cities just to find nothing, they would pretty much stop going outside.

Starfire nodded in disappointment, wanting to be a part of the search. She felt useless when she wasn't doing anything. "I guess I will go and take the shower…" she mumbled in defeat as she turned to walk out of the room.

Out in the hallway, she stopped to check that no one was around before standing still and closing her eyes. Taking a deep breath she tried to lift off of the ground, wanting to levitate just an inch above the floor. _Come on…. Fly…._She started to bounce up and down before fully jumping off of the ground and of course, landing back down. No matter what she did, she could not stay in the air. _Come on… think of something happy… _She started to rack her brain for anything that could bring her joy.

She began to think of the morning sunrise, the sensation of a cool breeze on her face, the feeling of the wind whipping her hair back as she flew, the sound of her friends laughing, _Robin_…. Behind her eyelids, she could see his face. In her ears, she could hear his voice. In her bones, she could feel his presence. Her heart began to swell and her feet began to lift off the floor as she rose up a few inches into the air. She could hear his laugh and see his bright smile.

Memories began to flood her mind as she thought of him. She could see him dancing with her at Kitty's prom… She could see him arriving with Raven in child form… She could see him sitting on the roof top in Tokyo… She could see him riding his motorcycle off into the night while she chased Red X… She could see him walk down a dark hallway as she was ordered to follow Beast Boy and Cyborg…. Her heart sank and she fell straight down to the floor, landing on all fours. Tears started to flow down her face as she sank further down, resting her forehead on the ground. Little did she know that a young green teen was standing behind the wall of an adjacent hallway, listening to her sobs with a stabbing pain in his heart.

* * *

Once again, thank you all for your continued support! I honestly would have never continued the story had it not been for all of you! Reading your reviews inspires me to keep writing, and I definitely take what you have to say in mind. I have already shifted my Story Map around a few times to accommodate your suggestions, so please review with what you think! Thank you!


	11. Shadow Assassin

-The Disclaimer is in Chapter One-

Warning: Violence and Language

I would like to apologize for the serious delay, I was on vacation and had no time to write, so I had to beast this out in the past two days! I'm rather fond of this chapter actually...

I will be posting new chapters on my regular timeline for the next week until I go on vacation again... For now, enjoy the nice long chapter!

* * *

-Jump City: Present Day-

It had been a full day since the massive blowout that Cyborg and Raven's conversation turned out to be. Raven had stayed in her room the entire day afterwards, not even coming out to eat, and Beast Boy had been lounging around in the ops room all day, refusing to go to his own room. Cyborg honestly didn't know why he refused to go to his room, perhaps he had expected Raven to come out eventually and didn't want to miss an opportunity to yell at her some more. He hadn't seen Starfire all day either and presumed that she was hiding out in her room, but in reality, she hadn't been there since the fight.

…

Starfire's face stung with tears and she felt that she couldn't take it anymore; she couldn't stay in the room. "Star, it'll be okay, we'll-" Cyborg started, but she didn't stay to hear the rest as she fled the room. After the door shut behind her, she stood in silence for a minute or so, tears continuing to flow down her face. She couldn't understand what was happening to them, why were they falling apart? How was it that they had come to the point of mutual hatred? Her heart jumped and in a fit of hormones, she began to run. Where to she did not know, nor did she care. All she wanted to do was run, to let her body take over for once and just be free. So she let her body take her where it wanted to go, letting it follow its own whims as she let her mind shut down.

She wasn't thinking, her mind had become foggy; it was as if she wasn't there, as if her mind had floated away. It felt like she was drowning, like her mind was stuck in a misty vapor. Suddenly, she stopped and fell to the floor. She didn't know how long she had been dashing through the halls, but she was definitely out of breath. Her lungs were burning and she felt dizzy as her senses returned to her, as her mind returned to her. She began to feel the burn in her legs and the heat rising in her face; she could even smell the faint scent of smoke.

She slowly opened her eyes to see a hallway covered in what looked like dirty snow. Dust particles danced in front of her eyes as she looked at the ash filled corridor. She sat there in shock, knowing where she was. Her subconscious must have led her here. She lifted her head and looked to her left. A tall door stood, covered in dust and bearing a nameplate.

"Robin," she whispered to herself numbly. It had been so long since she had seen that door… so long… She felt a twinge of pain in her abdomen as she thought back to all the times she had come to this door. She had become so very familiar with it after their excursion in Tokyo. She missed seeing it, knocking on it, entering it… Sucking in a breath, and coughing on the dust in the air, she stood up and approached it. She placed her hand on the plate and began to trace the name with her fingertips. "Robin," she whispered again in pain.

No one, except Raven, had been down this hallway since the attack, not even to clean. Cyborg wanted to investigate for clues, but for some reason, every time he came close he couldn't find the strength to step one foot into that hallway. Starfire had thought about it often, but felt that it would be too much heartbreak to go into his room; and Beast Boy just tended to steer away from depressing things. Raven had gone down the hallway once, just a few nights ago. She didn't know why, but her feet had led her there, just as Starfire's had. She stood at the doorway for several minutes before dropping her book and running away; leaving Cyborg to find the book later when he passed the hallway. Otherwise, no one had been down there in years, and certainly no one had been in his room.

She pressed her face against the door, half way expecting to hear something. Of course she knew that she wouldn't, so for the moment, she just enjoyed the cool touch against her skin. She wasn't certain if she wanted to go inside, it would be depressing yes, but somehow she felt a need to. There was a certain draw to it, like it was calling to her, beckoning for her to enter. She pulled her face back and with all of the courage that she had in her body, she opened the door.

Immediately, dust and ash swirled into the room, flying into the air and circling the area. She stood in the doorway, seemingly glued to that spot on the floor. The room was exactly as she remembered it, save for some slight differences. What once was a clean, bright room was now a filthy, dark one. There wasn't a surface in the room that was not covered in inches of dust. Even the carpet was a different color than it had originally been. The ash particles began to settle on top of the thick coats of dust, leaving the room completely still and lifeless. Starfire took note of the large spider webs spread across several corners of the room.

It hurt Starfire to see Robin's room in such a state. He prided himself on keeping a clean and organized bedroom, and now look at it, look what it had become. It looked so empty, like no one had ever lived there. It really seemed to drive the fact that he was gone deeper into her, giving her a fresh stabbing pain in her heart.

Her left hand trailed along the wall, searching for the light switch. As the lights turned on, she wiped the large coat of dust that was on her hand onto her skirt. The room hadn't seen light in so long that it almost felt unnatural, almost _looked_ unnatural. She stepped further into the room and the door slid shut behind her with a screech, most likely due to all the years of nonexistent maintenance.

_What now? Was this supposed to make me feel better? Because it didn't! _She was about to storm out of the room when she saw the closet. It was wide open and several dusty uniforms were on display, waiting to be worn. A lump in her throat began to build as she looked at the familiar suit, the one that she hadn't seen in person in so long. She had almost forgotten what it looked like, how bright its colors were… though of course they were faded from sitting in a closet for so long.

She walked to the closet slowly, taking her time. Her hand found its way to the sleeve and she stroked it gently, appreciating the texture of the fabric and the feeling of the material. She closed her eyes as she relished the familiar, yet forgotten feeling. It had been so long, yet it felt exactly the same as she remembered it, as if she had touched it yesterday. How many times she had felt this uniform…. Her face started to become hot and she could feel her stomach drop to the floor. She pulled the suit off of the hanger and walked over to the bed, cradling it in her arms. _Am I going crazy?_ Normal people don't just fondle articles of clothing. Of course, normal people don't have their friends stolen by psycho mercenaries either…

She plopped onto the bed and a cloud of dust billowed around her, having not been disturbed in a long time. Tears began to stream down her face as she slumped onto the bed, lying down on her back and looking at the ceiling with watery eyes. The suit rested across her torso as she continued to stroke it, replaying all of the fond memories of him in her mind. And so she lay there all night and all of the next day, staring at the ceiling with a blank expression, and not leaving for so much as food.

…

It was now the early morning, almost two days after the fight, and Cyborg hoped that today, unlike yesterday, they could all get together and be nice. Though he highly doubted it, things just seemed to get worse as time went on. Hopefully what he was about to do would change the atmosphere in the tower. He walked along the hallway, a small paper in hand, before stopping in front of a door. He knocked softly and stood back, praying that he got a response. After several minutes of silence, he tried again, this time more forcefully. "Come on, its Cyborg… the least you can do is answer me," he pleaded through the door.

A faint ruffle could be heard inside and the sound of soft footsteps followed. He stepped back once again, hoping that he would be let inside. Within moments the door slid open and a head peeked out into the hallway, looking both ways to see if anyone else was there. Cyborg raised his eyebrows and held his hands up in peace. "I'm alone, I just want to show you something," he said, trying to sound peaceful.

Raven stepped to the side, beckoning for Cyborg to come in, much to his surprise. He had half expected her to slam the door shut in his face, and that was if she even opened the door. But for some reason, she seemed perfectly calm and almost… _glad_ that he had come… It was quite a shock to Cyborg. He entered the room and the door slid shut behind him; Raven didn't want any unexpected guests in the conversation this time. He lifted up his paper, about to begin explaining his visit, when he was interrupted.

Raven turned around to face Cyborg with a look of shame on her face. "Look Cyborg, before you get started on whatever you are going to show me, let me just say something." He nodded, slightly taken aback by the statement, but allowed her to continue. "About what happened the other night… I just wanted to say that I am sorry…" she sighed. Cyborg was surprised to say the least by this declaration; he had definitely not expected her to apologize. "I was wrong," she continued, "Giving up on Robin isn't what is best for the team; I can see that now. I didn't realize how much hope you all still had and I think it is best that we continue searching for him." Most of what she was saying was true, though she still did believe that moving on was necessary as well. She had thought about what Cyborg had said all day yesterday, and as much as it pained her to admit that she was wrong, she thought it best to apologize. She didn't want to lose her only remaining friends because of her stubbornness.

"I think that if you want to visit New York, then we should visit New York. You were right; we shouldn't let him slip through our fingers because we have doubts. He deserves better than that, he deserves to be rescued." Cyborg regarded her for a few moments with a look of astonishment on his face. _Did she really just say that?_ He waited for her to continue, but she remained silent.

"Um, well… wow… I didn't expect that. Are you sure?" he asked. She nodded in response. "So you are fine with going to New York?" he elaborated, making sure to be cautious. He wanted to make sure there was no confusion.

"All that I am asking is that you be careful when taking us to New York. I don't want to find another dead lead, we can't handle that. I am asking that you be completely sure before you fly us out there." Cyborg nodded at her solemnly; she did make a good point. He had to be sure before he sent the team there; there would be no mistakes or broken hearts this time. "Can you do that? Can you promise me that?" she asked in all seriousness. She was not joking around with this deal, she meant business.

"Yeah," he answered. "In fact, I have something that you might be interested in," he said as he waved the paper in the air. Raven looked at it guardedly as he handed it over to her, not certain as to what he was showing her. Cyborg nodded as she looked at him, indicating for her to read it. He watched as her eyes scanned over the freshly printed paper and grinned as they widened towards the end. She glanced up after finishing, her face full of shock and elation. _Is this for real?_ "So, what do you think?" he asked. She looked back down at the paper, reading it carefully for a second time and considering all that it had to say.

"I think that we found Robin," she replied breathlessly as she finished scanning the paper. In that moment, Cyborg could see the real Raven, the one that he had only seen a hand full of times in all the years that he had known her. She looked back down at the paper, a small smile decorating her face as she read it for the third time.

-New York-

"So, you are telling me that we have no product on the streets?" a man asked agitatedly. The men sitting at the table around him remained silent, afraid to answer. Staying quiet would just piss him off, but confirming the statement would just piss him off further.

A short, burly man sat at the head of the table, glaring at all of his men. "Yes," a taller man to his right said hesitantly, wincing slightly as he did so. The man sat to the right of Victor Wyatte, crime boss. He was his main man, his personal consultant. To Victor's left was his enforcer, the man that kept all of the employees in line. The other five men were the most vital parts of his organization, each serving their own purpose in separate vectors. Everyone in the room waited for his response, slightly scared as to what he was going to say.

"And how is that so?!" he barked at his employees. How was it that every single lab and distributor was un-operational at the moment? Things had been running so smoothly over the past couple of years, so what was with the major fuck up? Victor did not tolerate mistakes, and some people were about to answer for his financial losses.

The room around them was dimly lit and void of windows. Several lamps hung above the large table where the man sat, illuminating the room in a soft yellow light and casting shadows upon the men's faces. Somehow it made them look even more threatening. A large garage door, made for delivery trucks, stood at the left of the room. The only other door was a small door in the back of the factory, but it was padlocked. No one used that door, in fact, it was almost forgotten. There were several large vents along the upper walls of the room, though no air flowed through. The factory had long been closed and the heating and air was turned off. It was the perfect spot for criminal activities.

A man sitting a few seats down the row decided to answer, "Well, we don't know exactly what happened, but all of our men are either dead or missing. We went to check on our distribution centers when we weren't receiving any money for the product and found everyone dead."

"And the drugs? What happened to them?" Victor replied, extremely frustrated at the sudden loss of his years of hard work. It would take forever to build up a new drug empire. Not only would they need an entirely new set of cooks, which were extremely hard to come by, but they would also need to re-establish street connections with new dealers. This would take months, if not years to get back on track, and he was_ not_ happy.

"Gone," the man answered and upon seeing Victor's face decided to elaborate. "When we got there, it was all gone; it had been stolen… We don't know what happened to it…"

"So," Victor growled as he put his head in his hands, "All of my men are dead and my drugs are missing?! What the fuck happened?!" Several of the men cleared their throats as the man who had been talking looked down at his hands. "Well?!"

"As I said, most of the men were dead …. The majority of them had slit throats or bullets to the head. It was the same at all the different sites, same form of execution every time." The man looked back up at his boss with a somber expression, "I think that this is the work of a team, and a damn good one. The shots were precise and clean, each meant to kill instantly. I think they are trying to send a message… Or they could be trying to take over our territory by taking out the competition. I'm not quite sure, but whoever it is, they sure know what they are doing."

Victor considered the explanation for a few moments. What was this? Were they dealing with a competitor or a vigilante force? Was someone trying to get to him or were they just interested in stopping the flow of drugs? Either way, it was a legit threat to his livelihood.

"Considering that the drugs are missing, it is most likely that we are dealing with a competitor who wants to claim our territory for his own. They could be using that assassin to do the dirty work, what's her name? Yvette Bouyan? But this could also be completely unrelated to her. Either way, this son of a bitch has no idea who he is dealing with. I want you all to find out who is doing this and I want you to kill him, or her, I don't care, so long as they are dead. And kill anyone who stands in the way. In the meantime, I want you," he looked to the man he had been speaking to the entire time, "to go out and find some new cooks. I don't want our flow to completely stop, so I expect you to have product for me within a week or two. You can use temps if you have to; I am willing to lower my standard until we find a more permanent cook. And Paul," he looked over to a man sitting at the far end of the table, "I need you to find and kill that assassin that had taken out the rest of our party," he signaled towards the empty seats at the table. "I want her dead, now," he commanded.

"You think Yvette is doing this? I thought she was only sent to kill Tony and Allen. Why would she come back to take us on again? The dumbasses that hired her are dead, shot to death in their offices several weeks ago," the man to his left chimed in.

"I know that they are dead, but that does not make her any less of an enemy. Just because she isn't getting paid by Tollera anymore doesn't mean that someone else isn't paying her. Perhaps her new boss is the one that killed her brother and his boss in the first place. Maybe he wanted her as his employee and Jervaise stood in the way. Either way, I don't give a fuck. She killed two of my men and I want her dead, whether she is behind this or not." Victor was certain about his decision; he wanted her out of the picture. He didn't honestly believe she had come back to take his cartels out, he just wanted an excuse to off her.

The truth of the matter was that Yvette had nothing to do with the cartels. Her involvement with Victor was limited to the one hit placed on his two men. She wasn't even certain why her boss wanted them dead, especially since they worked for the most notorious crime boss in New York. Perhaps it was some rivalry thing… She honestly didn't care, so long as she got paid… But after Robin had killed her half-brother and his boss, she had begun to lie low, not particularly certain whether or not she was going to seek revenge. She was never close to her brother, yet he _had _gotten her the job in the first place.

There was only one problem with seeking revenge; it was Robin, the shadow assassin, or so they called him. Since no one was quite certain of who he was, he was called by that nickname. Though Yvette was pretty certain that it was Robin, boy wonder, working for Slade and she didn't feel like barking up that tree. Whoever messed with Slade didn't live to tell the tale and considering that no one had even seen Robin, he was a serious threat. So, here was poor Yvette, an assassin for hire, and one of the best in the world, with two different highly dangerous people wanting her dead.

"Am I clear? Take care of this mess or I will take care of all of you," Victor threatened. All of the men at the table nodded soberly, knowing his threats were not idle. He didn't become the boss of all organized crime in New York because he was nice. "Good, now if you will excuse me, I have to go to my daughter's recital. I expect reports from all of you and I expect them to be good," he said as he began to stand up. The sound of a chair screeching sounded throughout the room, causing everyone to cringe. "Joseph," he called to the man at his right, signaling for him to follow. His personal advisor stood up in response and followed him towards the door.

The remaining men sat in silence as the large loading door slid shut and echoed throughout the building. Only upon hearing two cars drive out of the lot did the men finally begin to speak. "So, how are we going to both find nine cooks and kill one of the most respected and notorious assassins in two only weeks?" one man asked. The feat was nearly impossible.

"Don't know, don't care, just get it done," the man sitting at the end of the table replied. As the enforcer, he had to make sure that things got done, or else it would be his ass on the line. All of the men looked at each other, each hoping that the other would come up with a solution. What the hell were they supposed to do about it?

"Should we hire an assassin to take her out? I don't see how we can kill her without outside help," one man asked. Hiring an assassin to take out another assassin was like playing chess, one wrong move and you lose. And there aren't many assassins out there that are willing to take on those in their own profession, not only is it difficult, but it is also considered taboo.

"Is there anyone out there that can even do it? She is the best of the best after all…." the first man replied. He was right, there was no one out there that had a shot at killing her, she truly was the best there was… well, almost the best…

"I can think of someone," a voice chimed in. It was very soft and echoed faintly throughout the room. Everyone looked at each other, searching for the source of the comment. Their eyes widened and their hands flew to their holsters when they realized that the voice was not from their party. All of a sudden, one of the men slumped as his face slammed down onto the table. Every single head turned abruptly to look at the man who was now sitting in a pool of blood. A single bullet was lodged into his skull, a perfect and clean shot. In an instant, every single person at the table stood up and pulled out a gun, all aiming in different directions.

The lights that hung above went out, shrouding the room in complete darkness, and a light clacking sound reverbed throughout the room. It sounded as if a very small person was running, but it came from above. Considering that there was no pathway above them, it sent chills down their spines. A large crash came from the right of the room as a vent fell to the floor and all of the men began shooting in that direction; except for the enforcer who was searching for the light switch guardedly.

The sound of bullets filled the room and shells flew everywhere, littering the floor and making it difficult to walk. One man lowered his gun and searched his pockets with shaky hands, desperate to find more bullets as he had run out. All that he could see were flashes of light from the firing guns, almost like strobe lights in a club. As he began to realize that he did not have spare bullets, the gunfire died down. The others had come to the conclusion that they were wasting their ammo on a non-existent target. Whoever had shot their comrade was not sitting in the corner near the vent. All of the men stood still, trying to adjust their vision to the darkness so that they could find their target.

The man with no ammo tightened his grip on his gun as he waited for someone to turn on the lights. He could hear a light thud behind him, so light that he wasn't even sure of what he heard. Just as he was about to turn around, he felt a thin wire wrap around his neck and a warm body press against his back.

"Umfh!" None of the others had heard the small grunt and stood there doing nothing while one of their comrades was suffocated. After a few moments, the lights turned back on and the men paled as they saw their co-worker lying dead on the floor with a thin, straight cut on his neck. A piece of wire lie on the floor next to him, stained with blood. Everyone began looking around, knowing that the attacker was still in the building.

"Show yourself! You fucking coward!" one man shouted defensively. A knife flew across the room, lodging straight into the man's neck and causing him to collapse onto the ground. It was true, shrouding in the shadows was cowardly.

"Ah, but you see, once you see me, I have to kill you," a deep voice grumbled as a figure walked out of the shadows. "But I was going to kill you anyways, so I guess it doesn't matter." Time seemed to stop as the men finally saw their attacker.

"Deathstroke…" one man whispered, stunned. In the shock of the discovery, all three men stalled, no one lifting their gun to attack. Within a moment, two more bullets flew through the air, each hitting its target. Slade stared down the one remaining man, sending fear deep into his bones as his friends and co-workers lay dead on the floor. He knew who Slade was; he was the most notoriously dangerous assassin for hire, and he was _expensive._ They would have considered hiring him to take out Yvette, but he hadn't taken a job for years. Everyone just assumed that he had retired.

The man, finally coming to his senses, lifted his gun and began to aim, knowing that he had no chance. A large boomerang shaped object knocked the gun out of his hands, leaving him defenseless. Not knowing that Slade had a partner, the man looked over to the corner, shocked at the discovery. A small, lean figure sat crouched in the corner, hiding in the shadows with a gun in his hand. Slade chuckled as he saw the look of confusion on his face.

"My apprentice," he explained. The man looked back at him, becoming paler at the thought of his impending doom. "I do not believe that you have had the pleasure of meeting him, you see, we have been quite discreet about our _partnership_." He emphasized the last word, more for Robin than for anyone else. Calling Robin a partner was a big step for Slade. He loved making Robin remember that he works for and _with_ him. It gave him a sense of power, owning Robin like that. "Robin, why don't you come on out and meet our _guest_, face to face."

Robin came out into the light, approaching Slade while looking at the man trembling before him. Immediately upon seeing his face, the man's eyes widened. "_Robin?!"_ he gasped, "_Batman's _Robin?!"

Slade growled in response, "No! Not Batman's Robin, _my _Robin! _My_ apprentice!" Something about Robin being called Batman's threw Slade into a possessive rage. Robin was no longer the goody two shoes brat that Batman had as a sidekick. He was a quick, precise killer. A master thief, a perfect criminal. He was Slade's now. He was no longer Richard Grayson or a Titan, but Slade's own partner. And he didn't like it when Robin was called by anything else. Slade calmed a little and began to speak, "He may have worked with that buffoon once, but not anymore."

Robin just stood there, no expression on his face at the mention of his former mentor. If the man hadn't been so terrified, he might have noticed how unusual Robin's behavior was and how stiffly he stood. "Why don't you show him what you can do?" Slade murmured in Robin's ear, loudly enough for the man to hear. The man began to back up in response, not wanting to know what Robin was going to do. "You see, I like to let him get creative with his kills, makes for a better message. And after all, that is what we are here for, to send a message," Slade explained. Robin continued to observe the man with boredom, and luckily for him, he was wearing his mask. Seeing what was behind it would have just scared the man further. As he took a step forward, the man began to run and Slade chuckled. He loved to watch Robin take out cowardly vermin; it was like a game to him. But to Robin, it was just another thing he did; he didn't really pay attention anymore.

Robin began to run after him, picking up a pipe that was lying on the floor along the way. The man could hear Robin gaining on him and he was running out of room to run. There was nowhere to go; the wall was a few feet away. He made a sharp turn to the left and ran for the large loading door. Upon reaching the door, he began to pound as hard as he could with his fists. The door was not budging; this was it, he was going to die.

He heard Robin stop behind him and felt a sudden pressure in his back. With a grunt, his hands flew to his abdomen. His stomach and legs began to become warm and wet. He looked down at his hands and gaped at the dark red blood dripping off of them. A shiny, metal bar was sticking out of his torso, completely drenched in blood. Was he really just impaled?! He fell to his knees and leaned on the door, trying to catch his breath. A cold hand gripped his shoulder and flipped him around with unusual strength, throwing him onto the floor in a sitting position.

"Ungh-" He could feel the bar slide forward as his back hit the wall. It made a sickening suctioning sound as it went further into him. Blood spurted out of his mouth and he began to choke on it, not liking the iron taste it had. Robin stood tall over him as he desperately tried to cling to life. He could see Robin's face looking down at him and wondered what had happened to him. What happened to turn him from Robin, boy wonder and hero, into _this_? He could see Robin for what he was, a _lunatic. _He could see the insanity behind the mask. No one could kill this easily; no one looked at people the way Robin was looking at him right now. It just wasn't normal, it just wasn't right.

Robin cocked his head to the side at the look of pure agony on the man's face. He often wondered what it was like in those last few moments before death. Was it a few moments of utter terror? Was there pain? Or was it a sudden acceptance of fate, completely numb and devoid of emotion? Did your life flash before your eyes? Was there a bright white light? Or did everything just go dark, like slipping into oblivion? The answer to that, Robin had no idea, nor did he plan to know in the near future.

Slade stood behind Robin, towering over him. "Do it Robin," he purred quietly. Robin pulled out a gun, the one that had been used to shoot all of the other men lying on the floor, and aimed it at the man's face. The man looked into his soon to be killer's face, knowing that it would be the last thing he saw. Robin stared back down at him, his face completely devoid of empathy, and without a moment's hesitation, pulled the trigger, shooting the man directly in between the eyes. He blinked as blood spattered on his face, not at all disturbed.

"Good boy," Slade cooed. Something about how Slade praised Robin was unnerving; it sounded odd, like it wasn't really praise. Robin just continued to look down at the dead man, not particularly feeling anything. He didn't care for Slade's praise, he didn't aim to please, he just did what he was told. "Now, let's get these bodies in-"

Suddenly, the door slid open and the dead man's body fell to the floor, splashing the pool of blood onto Robin's shoes. A man stood outside, a gun in hand, with a shocked expression on his face. He had not expected to see his boss dead on the floor when he had come to investigate the source of the noises. Robin lifted his gun, but he was too late. The man pulled the trigger and a bullet found its way to its target. The boy's eyes widened in shock and he stood for a few moments before collapsing to the floor. Had he really just been shot? How had he let his guard down? That had never happened before.

Upon seeing Slade, the man bolted. Had he realized that Robin wasn't the only one there, he would have run before shooting him. He wasn't stupid; he knew who Slade was and what he was capable of. Slade was still standing there, completely in shock at the sight before him. _Did that seriously just happen?! How?! Everything had been going so smoothly! _He watched as blood began to drip down Robin's sides and onto the floor. Looking up, he could see the figure running into the nearby forest and bolted after him.

Everything seemed to be in slow motion as he began pursuing the shooter. How could that have happened to Robin? His Robin? And on his watch too! He was so well trained, he was never meant to get shot, _ever_. And in all the time that they had been doing this, Robin had never made a mistake, so why now? Slade was now on the man's tail, gaining on him with every step.

The man knew that he had just made a fatal mistake, but it was just his instinct to shoot the person standing above his boss's dead body. After all, he was just a driver, taught to shoot any attacker. He didn't even want to be given a gun in the first place! He was just trying to save up enough money to go back to school; he never meant to hurt anyone!

The man was panting as trees passed him by in a blur. The cold night air stung his face as he ran and his lungs were on fire. His eyes were watering and he didn't know how much longer he could keep going. The man began to slow and Slade, finally being close enough to aim, pulled a knife out of his belt. He threw it at the man with precision, severing the artery behind his knee. The man flew forwards, landing with all of his weight on his hands and breaking one of his wrists. He howled in pain, not knowing whether to grab his broken hand or his bleeding leg.

Slade slowed to a walk and approached the man slowly, glaring at him with hatred in his eye. _What a pathetic human being_… The man could feel the soft, wet moss on his skin as he began clutching his knee desperately. A cold breeze flowed through the air, brushing lightly against his face and ruffling his hair. With a swift kick to the ribs, Slade flipped the man over onto his back. He cried out in agony and looked up at his attacker. The look in Slade's eye was terrifyingly dangerous. Trees stood tall above them as Slade walked over to the man's head, crouching down over him.

"Please!" he begged. The pain could not get any worse than it was, or so he thought. Slade looked down at his face and punched him, letting his anger spill out. Spitting out blood, the man looked back up at him, his eyes pleading for mercy. Why did he have to be working tonight?! Why did he have to get a job as a mobster's driver?! Slade punched him in the face again, this time with all of his might. He may have hit Robin quite a bit in his time, but never this hard. It felt… _good. _

He continued to punch the man repeatedly, completely losing all control of himself. He found himself unable to stop as he brutally pounded the man's face into the ground. Only upon feeling that the man was about to die did he finally stop. Panting, he looked down at the nearly unrecognizable face with disgust. The man was whimpering, now in too much pain to do much else. Slade pulled out a long, smooth knife and held it to the man's neck.

"PLEASE! DON'T!" he shouted in a garble. He didn't want to die, not here, not now. But even if Slade did show mercy and walk away, he would bleed to death on the forest floor… not that _he_ knew that. "I promise I won't say anything!" He meant it too, he wouldn't say anything out of fear that Slade would come back and kill him.

Before he could beg any further, Slade slid the knife deeply across the man's throat, sending him into a state of panic. His eyes widened and he began to choke on his own blood, making light gurgling sounds. He could feel the life slipping away from him and he closed his eyes tightly, trying to escape from the pain. Meanwhile, Slade just sat there on his heels and watched the life slowly leave the man's body. "_No one_ touches _my_ Robin," he growled.

Another breeze came and brushed by Slade as he sat there looking at the dead man. Quite abruptly, he leapt up and sprinted as fast as he could to the warehouse, almost having forgotten about the severely wounded Robin in his fit of rage. His breath became ragged as his feet pounded onto the soft forest floor and he could begin to see the outline of the building. _I'm coming Robin…._

Upon arriving at the door, Slade could see Robin lying on the floor in a pool of his own blood. He stepped over the body near the entrance and fell to his knees next to Robin's pale form. He was breathing shallowly and clutching at the wound in his chest.

"ROBIN!" Slade shouted harshly. Even only being half lucid, Robin could hear the genuine worry in his tone. He had never heard Slade like that, _ever. _He wasn't sure how he felt about it. Slade pulled Robin's hands off of his injury and pulled out a knife. He cut Robin's suit down to the abdomen, peeling the sticky, blood stained fabric off of the wound. It did not look good. The bullet was lodged deeply into Robin's chest and he had already lost a lot of blood. "Robin, talk to me!" he commanded, his face full of distress behind the mask. He knew that things were bad when Robin couldn't respond. Robin may hate him, but he was above ignoring him in a life threatening situation.

Robin could hear Slade talking, but he couldn't fully make out what he was saying. He felt like he was underwater, sinking further down into a dark abyss. The pain didn't bother him so much as he had become accustomed to it; it was as natural as sleeping and eating to him. In fact, he could barely feel it now. "ROBIN! ANSWER ME!" Slade yelled angrily. "Don't you _dare_ die on me!" He was pushing down on Robin's wound, trying to get the bleeding to stop. "ROBIN!"

Slade was in a panic, they were nowhere near their base or a hospital. Even if he was willing to risk getting caught by going to a hospital, Robin would be dead by the time they reached it. They were in the middle of nowhere, with nothing but forest and farmland around, that was why the mobsters met there. How did things go so wrong so quickly?! This was _supposed_ to be routine!

Robin's head was becoming light and pleasantly faint. His body was becoming warmer, like he was slipping into a hot bath. Little did he know that he felt like ice to Slade, whose frantic yelling was becoming fainter and fainter. White light was edging around his vision, blurring Slade's figure as he began to become dizzy.

Was this it? Was he going to die? Quite fitting considering that this was how most of his victims had died. He deserved it, especially after all of the people that he had hurt. He especially deserved it because he didn't even care about them. He had lost all sense of compassion a while ago and now, not even in the cold grip of death, did he feel remorse. So, there he was, dying in Slade's arms. He had never pictured his death being with Slade; he had never imagined that Slade would be the last thing that he saw. It was quite odd.

As his vision began to turn completely white, Robin accepted his fate. So this was death? Guess he finally got his answer. It wasn't so bad, kind of pleasant actually. He was almost happy that it was finally over, or at least he would have been if he could feel that emotion. The truth of the matter was that he was more relieved than anything. And so, in that moment, he readily accepted death. After a few minutes, his vision began to blacken and he slipped into the dark void of nothingness, seeing and hearing no more.

* * *

Nice ending huh? Don't worry, it isn't the story's ending! Well, anyways, please review! And don't feel obligated to say only wonderful things, please do critique (constructively)! I would like to improve my writing, so your feedback always helps! Thank you for reading, and once again, sorry for the delay!

**Character list: (**for those who are slightly confused by the mobster's discussion**)**

Victor Wyatte- the main crime boss

Joseph Nyenne- Victor's right hand man that left with him

Yvette Bouyan- the assassin that took out Slade and Robin's targets

Mark Tollera- the man that hired Yvette for the assassinations/ shot by Robin in Chapter One

Bryan Jervaise- Tollera's bodyguard and Yvette's half brother/ also shot by Robin in Chapter One


	12. Bullet Wounds

-The Disclaimer is in Chapter One-

Warning: This chapter has dark content

Please do not continue if you cannot handle some darker concepts and do not flame me afterwards if you do decide to read it... Remember, this is rated M.

Once again, sorry for the delay. I had to scrap and rewrite the entire chapter, so it took a little longer, but it was worth it! So enjoy another nice, long chapter!

* * *

-New York-

Slade pushed down onto Robin's wound, desperately trying to get the bleeding to stop. "ROBIN!" Blood was everywhere; this was the first time that Slade had ever been disturbed by the sight of it. He had beaten Robin bloody many times, but not to this point. Both his and Robin's uniforms were soaked and the orange insignia across Robin's body was no longer orange, but red. "Damn it Robin! Say something!"

Robin was no longer moving and his breathing was becoming faint and shallow. Slade ripped his mask off, hoping beyond all hope that those blue eyes were open behind it. Much to his relief, they were open, but quite glassy. It looked like Robin wasn't even there, like he had left his body. They were so blank, and that was saying something considering that Slade had become accustomed to Robin's blank stare. He was most likely blacking out and unable to see. "Damn it Robin! Don't you dare leave me!" His shouting had become hysterical. He had never sounded like this in his life… He had never been so panicked in his life…

He began ripping Robin's suit into strips of fabric before lifting his limp torso up into a sitting position. It almost looked as if he was hugging the dying boy, though anyone who knew him would know better. He began to tie the blood soaked strips of fabric tightly around Robin's chest, trying to compress the wound. How had things gone so wrong?! He was not prepared to lose Robin, not like this. He would never forgive himself; it was his own damn fault for not responding quickly enough! For letting him get shot!

Robin's breathing was becoming weaker by the minute and Slade could hear a rattling in his chest. That _cannot_ be good…. He laid Robin back down on the floor and began to slap him across the face. "Wake up!" he commanded in his most threatening voice, but Robin hadn't even heard him. He was beyond hearing now… His eyes began to droop and the color in them began to dim. "NO! Don't you dare close your eyes!" Somehow yelling at Robin made Slade feel better, like he would just obey. It had always worked before, so why not now?

Robin's head lulled to the side as his eyes closed fully. "Son of a BITCH!" he exclaimed as he swept Robin up into his arms. There had to be something nearby… Slade remembered passing a bit of farmland on the way there and decided that that was his best shot. He bolted down the street, holding Robin bridal style in his arms. They had parked the car a way down the road so as to not alert the mobsters to their presence. Slade was really regretting that now.

The sun was going down and the air was chilly, making for a beautiful evening. All around the road was clusters of trees followed by large lots of farmland. It would have made for a beautiful stroll, but of course, Slade was not out for a leisurely walk. He was full blown panicked, not even thinking as he ran. A short ways ahead, he could see the outline of his car. His heart skipped a beat and he began running faster, despite his cramping muscles.

Robin's head was swinging back and forth, completely limp, as Slade arrived at the car. He threw Robin in the back and proceeded to drive down the street, far beyond the speed limit. "Son of a bitch," he whispered, looking back and forth for any type of inhabited building. Why did they have to be stuck in the middle of nowhere?! Why couldn't he have gotten shot in the city?! He was going to make sure that anyone even associated with that driver would die a slow and painful death. If Robin didn't live through this, he would kill everyone in the damn city! If Robin didn't survive this, well, he didn't know what he would do. He had never thought about it before; it just never seemed a possibility. It was Robin after all…

He slammed on his breaks and Robin flew forward into the seats before slumping onto the floor. "Damn it," Slade growled as he jumped out of the car and opened the back door. He quickly pulled Robin out and threw him over his shoulder before running as fast as he could into a nearby field. Just on the horizon, a small cabin like house was lit up. Smoke billowed out of its chimney and Slade could smell the scent of burning wood mixed with iron, most likely from the blood.

The sun was just on the horizon and night was beginning to fall, casting shadows on everything in the field. A few scattered trees creaked in the wind as their branches swayed back and forth. A middle aged couple sat on their porch, looking out at the sunset and enjoying their quiet evening together.

"Looks like it's going to be a nice spring this year," a soft voice commented.

"Mmmm," the woman's husband replied.

"My petunias will bloom quite nicely," she murmured to herself. The two had just finished their dinner and considering that they had no television, the only thing left to do was sit outside until nightfall. Their nights often consisted of reading, knitting, cleaning, and other various uninteresting things. That was why it came as such a shock when a man could be seen running towards their house in the distance. "Hey! Allen, do you see that?"

"See what?" he asked agitatedly. He had his eyes closed and was trying to enjoy the quiet, not that he could with his wife anywhere near.

"That! I think someone is coming!" she exclaimed.

"I'm sure it's nothing…" he mumbled, on the verge of sleep. They hadn't had a visitor in months; it was highly unlikely someone was walking up their driveway. Not even so much as a car had passed in days….

"No, Allen, someone is coming! I can see him clearly now!" she was leaning forward in her chair, staring intently at the approaching figure. Her husband opened his eyes and peered out into the darkness skeptically. The outline of a man became clear and Allen stood up out of his chair.

"Lila, go inside," he commanded in a low voice.

"What?" she asked, standing up next to her now alert husband.

"Go inside, I'll handle this." He had become wary of unexpected company over the years and didn't want to risk his wife's life by letting her stand outside.

"What? Why?" This was by far the most interesting thing to happen to her in years and she wasn't about to miss it by sitting inside the damn house.

"Lila, just do what I say!" he shouted at her. She jumped back, shocked at his tone of voice, and turned to run inside. He could hear the door close behind her as he continued to watch the approaching figure. "What the?" he whispered to himself. He blinked a few times, trying to make sure he was seeing properly. The man was now a few yards away from the house, huffing and puffing from running so far.

He ran down to meet the approaching man, noticing that he was carrying a small limp figure. "Hey! Are you okay?" he asked. The man ran past him and Allen started to run after him at a slower pace. "Hey! What's going on?!" he yelled concernedly. The man ran up the porch stairs and slammed the door down, much to Allen's distaste. "Hey! You can't just break down my door!" he shouted as he followed the man into his own house.

"AHHHHHH!" Allen started to run faster upon hearing his wife scream and stopped dead in the middle of his living room.

"Oh… my… God…" he gasped. Lila was in the corner of the room, absolutely horrified, as a small figure lie on the coffee table, covered in blood. The man had disappeared, leaving the boy to bleed on the table. Allen didn't know what to say, what the hell had happened to this poor kid?! He ran over and dropped to the floor next to the boy, trying to see if he was still breathing. "Lila! Go and get some towels!" he shouted. His wife hesitated, too sickened to think, before running off into the hallway.

Allen pressed his hand to the boy's neck, trying to find a pulse, when he was shoved out of the way by a large man. "Robin!" The boy remained unresponsive as he began to rip the strips of cloth off of him. Allen sat on the floor where he had been knocked down, staring at the scene before him. "ROBIN!" the voice yelled as Lila entered the room, yelping slightly at the sight. She had two wet towels and one dry towel in her shaking hands.

The man didn't even look up at her as she handed him the towels, in fact, he hadn't even noticed her. He wasn't really able to concentrate at the moment. All he could think about was saving Robin. Blood was dripping off of the table and onto the carpet, not that anyone really cared about the soiled rug.

"L-Lila, go and call the police!" Allen shouted. Lila had begun to run towards the kitchen as a hand had grabbed her wrist in a firm grip, stopping her from leaving the room.

"No, don't call the police," Slade grunted, not looking up at the woman he was holding in place.

"B-but… but he n-needs h-help," she stuttered, yelping slightly from the pain in her wrist as she tried to wriggle free.

"I'm helping him," Slade stated, letting go of her wrist to continue working on Robin. She looked down at her hand, which was now covered in blood. _The boy's blood… _

"H-he needs prof-fessional help…" she reasoned, continuing to gaze at her hand. It didn't even look like a team of doctors could save him now.

Slade looked up at her for a brief moment, catching her gaze. "Don't call the police," he growled threateningly before looking back down at the dying boy.

Lila ran over to Allen and crawled next to him out of fear. Both just sat on the floor, watching the scene with wide eyes. They had never seen anything like it; a large man frantically tending to a heavily bloodied boy. Neither had really noticed that it was slightly odd that he was wearing a mask; they were too shocked to think things through. Lila's mind was reeling, going one hundred miles an hour. What had happened to this boy? Had the man done this? But then why would he be trying to save him? He seemed to be genuinely concerned and worried about the boy… So, what could have possibly happened?

"Robin! Don't die! Don't you dare die, damn it!" Slade cursed. He was wiping the blood off of Robin's chest, trying to get a good look at the gunshot wound, but it just kept bleeding. Whenever it would get clean enough to view, more blood would spurt out. As he worked on Robin's chest, he noticed something. It had stopped moving… Robin had stopped breathing…. "NO!" He placed his head down to Robin's chest, trying to see if he could hear a heartbeat, but his mask blocked him.

With a click, he pulled the mask off and threw it back behind him, not particularly caring where it went. He immediately placed his ear back to Robin's chest and listened for a heartbeat. _Nothing… "NO! DAMMIT!" _He didn't know what else to say; for once in his life, he was beyond words. He lifted his head back up and looked at the boy's face. There were red streak marks from the blood, but otherwise, he was ghostly pale.

Slade began pumping Robin's chest, not particularly caring at the moment that he was forcing more blood out. _One… Two… Three… One… Two… Three… _He placed his ear back down, _nothing… _"Come… On…." he grunted as he continued pumping.

After about a minute of unsuccessful pumping, Slade pinched Robin's nose and began to breathe air into his mouth. Robin's chest rose from the forced intake of air and Slade returned to pumping. "Breathe, damn it!" He heard a large crack and he knew that he just broken a rib. What was with him and breaking ribs?! He leaned back down and breathed more air into Robin's mouth, persistent in his attempts to revive the boy. Robin's eyes, however, remained dead and empty as Slade incessantly pumped.

_Even inside the dark void of nothingness, Robin could not find peace as one memory replayed in his mind… _

-Berlin: A little over a year ago-

Robin was sitting in his room, staring at the ceiling with a book in his lap. He had been reading a German language textbook, as they were in Berlin and Slade wanted Robin to learn the language. He had become pretty proficient since he had plenty of time to devote to studying. Whenever he wasn't training, he was memorizing and learning. He even took tests, which ended badly if he failed. So, if he valued his bones remaining unbroken at all, he had to study.

He had been in Slade's custody for a little over five months now and he was becoming used to his new life, much to his dismay. He had gone on a few missions since the drug raid disaster, although they were all purely theft. Slade didn't seem to want him to go on any mission that involved people, or killing, after what had happened with his nearly dying and all. Robin still couldn't believe that he had so readily accepted death then. He often spent entire nights awake just thinking about it.

He had almost fully healed from Slade's not so little torture session and barely felt any pain at all when he worked out now. Slade had also refrained from any more beatings since then, not wanting Robin to go backwards in progress. He had been bed ridden for two weeks and Slade did not want to put him right back in a hospital right after he had recovered. He needed Robin over the next few weeks, and he would be of no use injured. That of course didn't stop him from threatening Robin when he didn't work to his full potential during recovery. Just because he couldn't torture Robin, didn't mean he couldn't slap him silly.

He didn't really need to punish Robin all that much though, especially considering that he had pretty much stopped talking back. Robin didn't quite know why, but he had lost the fire in his heart. He no longer felt the urge to spew insults or refuse commands anymore. He wasn't broken or dead inside and still very much did not want to be Slade's apprentice, but he just didn't feel like fighting anymore. He was becoming tired, much to Slade's satisfaction. He was finally starting to wear Robin down, which meant it was time for the next phase of his transformation. Soon enough, Richard would be dead and Robin would emerge from the ashes. Soon enough, the shadow assassin would be born…

Robin sighed and sat up in his bed, causing the book to fall off of his lap and onto the floor. He had been sitting in this room for over a day now, with no way out. Slade had said that he had some important business to attend to before locking Robin in his room and disappearing. Robin felt that it was unfair to be locked in a single room for days, but Slade didn't trust him enough to be alone in the base. At least Robin had an adjoining bathroom, not that it was much of a change of scenery. He hated being stuck in plain white rooms, they reminded him too much of the time he had spent in 'solitary confinement' a few months ago.

He pushed his fingers through his hair agitatedly, wondering how much longer he would be stuck in his room before Slade returned. _Must be off killing people somewhere…. _He had never wanted to see Slade so much in his life and it rather bothered him. The book lay face down on the floor as Robin stood up to start pacing. What else was he supposed to do? He had read the damn book twice now and he was becoming bored of the 'learning' activities in it. Every single other book on his bookshelf had been read at least three times now, but he still stopped to see if there was anything he could read again.

_Advanced Applied Physics… The art of Manipulation… Advanced Neuropsychology… Calculus… _"Ha, right!" he snorted. He hadn't understood that the first two times he read it and he certainly wouldn't the third time. His finger traced the spines of the books as he read them. _Advanced Human Anatomy and Physiology… Forensics and Detective Work… Advanced Thievery… _Where the hell did Slade even get that? Who even wrote books on how to steal? His hand stopped on the spine of a thin book that he distinctly remembered requesting. _The History and Making of Modern Martial Arts… _

Robin pulled the book out and opened it to the first page. How many times had he read this? Ten? Fifteen? He honestly didn't care, it was the only interesting one to him, even though he practically knew it by heart now… He plopped back onto the bed and stretched his legs out before beginning to read. "Chapter One, Martial Arts in Ancient China…" he mumbled to himself. _Wonder if I do have this memorized… _

A soft click sounded through the door and it swung open. Robin jumped up, thrilled to be let out of the room. His favorite book fell onto the bed as he ran to the door. Slade was standing in the doorway, stopping Robin from exiting. "Let me out, I need to walk," Robin grunted. Slade continued looking down at him, not moving an inch. Robin sighed and tried to inch his way around the man. "I really need to walk around. I've been stuck in this room for over a day now! Come on!" he exclaimed, frustrated that the bastard wasn't letting him out.

Slade stepped out of the way and Robin walked quickly down the hallway. "I'm starving," he shouted back as he walked. "Should have left me some _food _before you left," he complained. Slade wouldn't normally put up with such an attitude, but he was just shocked that Robin was talking to him at all. Robin only spoke to Slade if necessary and his snarky comments have gone down to a record low. So, it came as a surprise that he was being so cheeky.

Robin was practically jogging towards the kitchen when a hand grabbed his shoulder and threw him up against the wall. "Hey! What're you-"

"You aren't going to the kitchen, we have training to do," Slade said as he pinned a disbelieving Robin to the wall, holding both of his hands above his head.

"Are you serious?! I haven't eaten in a day and you want me to work out?!" Robin could not believe this, could this man be any more of an asshole?

"I promise you that once you are done with your training, you may eat," Slade replied.

Robin glared at the two toned mask for a moment. "Ughhh, whatever, let's just get this over with so that I can eat." He began to pull out of Slade's grip and Slade loosened to let him go. He started walking towards the gym, Slade trailing behind him the whole time. It was only when they walked next to each other that their extreme height difference became apparent. It looked rather odd, Robin being so short in comparison.

Just as Robin was about to enter the gym, a hand pulled him back. "Uh, uh, uh… That is not where we will be training today," Slade said. Robin turned around and looked at him oddly. Where else were they going to train? There was only one gym… Maybe he would get to train outside today! He hadn't been outside in over a month now, except on missions, which hardly counted… "Follow me," he commanded as he continued down the hall.

Robin had never been this far into their base, he was always supervised when walking around and had never been allowed to explore. He followed Slade into the unfamiliar territory, becoming uneasy when he realized that he would not be able to find his way back if necessary. He was beyond lost.

"In here," Slade said as he held a door open for Robin. _Another room?_ Why would there be another gym? Perhaps it was for special equipment…. Robin entered the room and looked around as Slade closed and locked the door behind them. The walls were a pale gray and the floor was a light brown laminate. The room was very small and completely void of furniture. The only thing that stood out was the large frame on the wall across from him. It seemed to frame some sort of glass or something, though it wasn't see through. To the left of the seemingly useless frame was a large metal door with a small window in it. The window was covered with blinds from both sides, so Robin couldn't see what was in the adjacent room.

"Welcome Robin, to the next phase of your training," Slade said. Something about this was extremely unnerving. What the hell did that mean? And how are they going to train in here? Robin gaped at the man standing across from him in annoyance, clearly not understanding what was going on. "You must be wondering why I have brought you to this_ particular_ room." Robin did not reply, but merely stayed silent, all the while maintaining eye contact with Slade through his mask.

"You see, this is my interrogation room…" _Interrogation room?_ What? Was he about to be interrogated? Perhaps it was training on how to resist spilling information if captured? Robin didn't really feel that that was necessary considering that he would never get caught, and even if he did, he would run into the protection of his captor's arms. "You see, Robin. As my apprentice, you must undergo many different types of training. And this exercise is perhaps one of the most vital that you will perform."

Slade walked over to the edge of the frame and looked at the wall thoughtfully. "Look, Slade, I already know how to resist interrogation…. I learned that years ago…" _Can I go now? I'm starving! _Robin's stomach began to growl and he was feeling slightly angry that he had been dragged here for this.

"Oh no, Robin. You are not going to be learning how to resist interrogation…" Robin's eyebrows lifted in curiosity. So, what then? Was he supposed to learn how to interrogate, because he had already learned that too. Being a hero meant interrogating villains… Slade should know that already.

Slade turned to the wall and reached for the top of the frame. "Inside this room," he said as he flipped a switch, "sits two people." Robin stood in front of the frame, now realizing what it really was. The space in between it flickered a few times before becoming clear and allowing Robin to see into the next room. Just as Slade had said, two people sat in the room, both chained to the wall in sitting positions.

The room had that same asylum feel to it that most of the other rooms in the base did. It was rectangular and very wide. The walls and tile floors were both white and there were several drains in the ground. Drains? What were the drains for? Robin paled as he realized… _blood… _

"You see, after last month's fiasco, I had to think carefully on how I was going to make you see things my way." Robin swallowed, not liking where this was going. Slade smirked behind his mask and continued, "I just naturally assumed that, being placed in a life threatening situation, you would have acted in defense…. I guess I was mistaken," he confessed darkly, his voice unsettling.

Robin stood still, his heart beating rapidly, and waited for Slade to continue. "So, I have devised a way to force you to comply. I now know that putting your own life on the line will not bend your will, but perhaps when it is the life of another at risk, you will see things differently. There will be no worming your way out of it this time Robin." Robin gulped and Slade could see the color leave his face.

"I am _not_ going to kill anyone!" Robin declared, anger filling his voice.

"Ah, but you will, whether you want to or not," he explained, much to Robin's disbelief. This man just _didn't _get it! What was his fucking problem?!

"You can't force me to kill! You may be able to yell at me, beat me, even _kill _me, but you cannot make me take a life!" Robin was adamant; nothing Slade could do would make Robin commit murder!

"You see, that is where you are wrong Robin. I can and I _will…_" Slade's eye glinted as something flashed across it. _Was he getting enjoyment from this?! _

"What? Are you going to kill another child?!" Robin mocked. This had struck Slade the wrong way and he made a move towards Robin. Not knowing what to do, Robin began to back up into the wall behind him, not at all wanting to be stuck in a small room with the man. "I locked the door Robin, there will be no escaping. Now, stop acting like a child and get over here so that we may begin." Robin, after turning the handle behind his back a few times, walked back towards Slade. "Good, now-"

"Ahhh!" Robin pounced towards the man, attempting to kick him with all that he had.

"Tsk tsk, Robin. I thought you would have learned your lesson by now," he purred as he blocked Robin's foot. Immediately thereafter, he threw Robin to the ground and pressed his boot into his newly healed ribs. "Now, unless you want me to re-break your ribs, you will get up and behave like an adult!" Robin huffed in response and Slade pushed his boot further into Robin's ribcage, causing him to gasp in pain. He could feel that his rib was about to break, _again_.

"Ugh! Get _off _me!" he grunted. Slade lessened the pressure and grabbed Robin's arm, pulling him up to stand.

"Try anything else and you will regret it." Robin recognized that phrase… _All of your complaining is just harming you, so I would suggest shutting your mouth before you regret it._ Slade had said that before he killed Timothy, and that was just for refusing to work out… He did not feel like having another child's death on his hands, so he decided to just listen to what Slade had to say. "Good boy, now as I was saying, this is going to prepare you for future missions. I will not tolerate any more attempted suicides or disobedience. When I tell you to kill someone, you _will _do it. Got it?" When Robin did not respond, Slade turned towards the wall.

"Let me start out by giving you a backstory of the two, so that you may make an informed decision on who deserves to die…" Robin gave Slade a look of disbelief before turning back to look at the two captives.

They were both sitting, arms held above their heads with their elbows bent. Their feet were shackled to the ground and they were both gagged and blindfolded. Must have been what Slade was doing all day yesterday…_hunting… _The one on the right was a very tall and built man. He had tan skin and a shaven head, as well as several tattoos around his neck and arms. His face did not look kind at all. In fact, he looked as if he was about to murder anything that came near him.

The one on the left, on the other hand, was a very soft faced woman. She was very petite, most likely only five feet tall. She looked to be about in her early thirties and had thin, blonde, shoulder length curls. Her skin was very pale and her makeup was streaked down her face, most likely from crying. Robin felt for her, he really did.

"The woman that you are gazing at so intently is Francine Byrd: a single mother of two and an accountant at a local bank. She is thirty two and lives in a small apartment outside of Berlin. She commutes to work every day while her kids stay in day care, because she cannot afford to move closer to the city." Slade watched Robin as he studied the woman. "Just a year ago, she was raped, but the authorities never found the culprit, so she was left to live in fear of his return." Robin's eyes turned soft as he gazed at the woman with pity. All that she went through and now she had to go through _this_?! Slade never ceased to amaze Robin with his level of evil.

"As for the one on the right, his name is George Buort. He is thirty seven years old and is an in and out convict. He is a part of a gang in the inner city and has killed several people…" _No worse than you_, Robin thought. Slade was a murderer too after all, having just killed a child just a few months ago. "And on top of that, he is a rapist," Slade finished and Robin looked up at him. "Yes, you've guessed correctly, he was the one to rape her." Robin looked back into the room, this time with a whole new perspective.

That must have been why she was sitting so oddly angled, she was trying to avoid being near him. The tears in her eyes and terror on her face weren't from Slade; they were from the man sitting next to her… It was like seeing the situation in a whole new light. Now it wasn't _two_ innocent people kidnapped and held against their will… It was an innocent woman and a rapist being put on trial.

"One of these lucky two is going to be your first kill, whether you like it or not," Slade declared, looking through the glass at the two unfortunate souls inside the room. Robin felt his throat swell up in both anger and sadness. There was no way he was going to kill either of them, no matter what Slade said.

"Where are her children?" Robin asked.

"They will be released when the exercise is over, either with their mother or as orphans." How Robin hated this man… Robin was an orphan after all, and he knew how it felt to lose the people you count on. These children already most likely lost their father, so this woman was all they had left. He would not let these kids go through what he did…

"So let me guess, you want me to kill one of them? And you chose someone that I would normally arrest and someone I would normally save to make the decision easier for me?" Robin asked mockingly.

"Oh no, it is not that simple," Slade purred. Robin looked back at him, what the hell was he supposed to do then?! "You are going to go in there and kill George, or else I will release him. You see, she was the one that got away, the one that he failed to kill… He has been searching for her for a while now, knowing that she could be his downfall." Robin listened intently, his mind searching for a way out of this. "So, if you fail to kill George, then I will untie him and he will be free to kill her in this room." Robin's mouth dropped, he had not been expecting that.

"So, by saving a criminal, you will be _killing_ an innocent woman, but by killing a criminal, you will be _saving_ an innocent woman. It is your decision…" Slade watched as Robin stood there, frantically trying to find a way out. He had thought this through thoroughly, and there was no way out. If he refused to kill George, then Francine would certainly die and Robin would be creating two orphans. He couldn't handle having more innocent blood on his hands, and if she died, it would be directly his fault this time, unlike with Timothy. Then, he had no way to save the boy, but now, he had a way to save the woman… making him her cause of death should he fail. _There was no way out… _

"I won't do it!" Robin stated. Hopefully Slade was just full of it… But Robin knew better.

Slade smiled deviously, "No, Robin, you will do this. I can't have an assassin that will not kill, that would not be a very good investment on my end." Was that all that Slade cared about? His investment?! _He really is one inhuman bastard!_

"Fuck you!"

"Do you want her blood on your hands?" Slade asked innocently, ignoring the comment. "Because I can release him if that is your decision."

"…Slade…." Robin moaned childishly. What was he supposed to say? _Please don't make me kill that criminal_… Like that would work… He might as well ask Slade to let him go, for all the good it would do.

"Yes?" he asked teasingly.

"Please," Robin begged. He seemed to be doing that quite a bit lately…. He had never imagined that he would grovel so much to his worst enemy. Of course, he had never imagined this type of situation arising either.

"No, Robin, you must make a choice. Who will it be? The rapist or the victim?" Slade held his hand out, advertising the choices as if they were prizes. Robin looked at the two, becoming less and less sure of himself. Here it was again, the question of whether or not it is okay to kill under certain circumstances. He had been raised to believe it was so black and white, but it wasn't, and he was just learning that. Why had Bruce never covered the gray area? How was Robin supposed to know what to do? Either way, someone dies, and either way, it's his fault. So, should he be the one to hold the gun? Or just the spectator, watching the situation unfold?

"I'm waiting Robin," Slade drawled. Robin had now begun bouncing back and forth, shifting his weight from his left to his right as he pondered. This was a serious questioning of his morals and he was having a mental crisis at the moment, not that Slade cared. In fact, Slade was counting on it. He was very much enjoying watching the boy squirm. He just hoped that Robin's outstanding hero complex would lead him to save the woman; otherwise, he would have no way of making Robin actually kill someone. He had run out of ideas beyond this. Perhaps if Robin failed, Slade would make it a child's life on the line next time…. He had reacted so drastically towards Timothy. He must have a soft spot for children…

As Slade stood there thinking of his backup plan, Robin was having a full blown panic attack. He had been pushing this to the back of his mind, trying to avoid confronting it for the past few months, and now it was all coming crashing down.

"Robin," Slade said impatiently as he returned from his momentary distraction, "If you do not choose now, I will assume that you have elected to allow George free."

"Go fuck yourself!" Robin really had been developing a sailor's mouth over the past few months…

"You will decide, _now_… Which of these two are you going to save?" Slade was making it painfully easy now. Using the word 'save' was allowing Robin to justify his actions, what the hell else did he need to take action?! Damn his upstanding disposition. "Who Robin?" he shouted.

"No! I won't do it! I won't choose!" Who was Robin to decide who should live and who should die?

"Ah, I see," Slade said softly. Robin stared daggers at him, wishing beyond all hope that he would just fall over and die right there. Now, Slade was one person he could kill… If only he had been given the option. That would be an easy decision!

Slade reached for the top of the frame again and pressed a button. Inside the room, several large _clinks_ sounded as both pairs of shackles fell off of the two captives. Immediately, both of the prisoner's hands flew to their faces, pulling the blindfolds off so that they could finally see. Francine pulled the cloth out of her mouth as George got his blindfold off. She looked over and her eyes widened with panic upon seeing George untied.

"AHHH! Someone, Please! Help me!" She stood up and ran to the door, desperately pounding on it as George stood up and looked around. "Please!" she screamed, begging for someone to let her out.

"I don't know who you are, but thank you," George growled, smiling at the fearful woman banging on the door.

Outside the room, Robin was shouting at Slade. "How could you, you sick son of a bitch!" He ran to the door, trying to open it to let the woman out without success. He turned on Slade, "Let her OUT!" he commanded. Slade merely smiled behind his mask.

"This was your decision Robin, you _chose_ to let her die," he drawled, clearly enjoying himself as he watched Robin panic.

"NO! I _chose_ not to kill anyone! Now let her GO!" he shouted, his voice breaking towards the end. _Damn it!_ _Why can't I just sound powerful for once?!_ Slade chuckled darkly and Robin continued to pound on the door before starting to kick it.

"That is solid steel, Robin. The only thing that you are going to break is your foot," Slade stated condescendingly. Robin stopped kicking and ran at him, trying to hit him in the face, but Slade simply stepped out of the way. He then tried to side sweep his feet, but was off balance from missing the punch. Slade kicked Robin in the back of the knee, forcing him to the ground and stepped behind him, grabbing a fist full of his hair. He pulled Robin's head back, causing him to grunt and gasp for air. "Listen to that," he purred softly in his ear, "That is because of you."

Screams resounded through the room and Robin began squirming, trying to get out of Slade's grip. He was unsuccessful as Slade just pulled tighter and forced him to listen. "NO! PLEASE! Please don't!" the woman begged, obviously being attacked by the man.

"She is going to die because of _you,_" he whispered, throwing Robin forward onto the floor. Robin jumped back up and sprinted towards Slade, flipping into the air and trying to kick him in the side of the neck. He barely grazed Slade's uniform and Slade ran towards him, fury in his eye. "What did I say about disobedience?! It _will not_ be tolerated! Do I need to teach you another lesson?" That was enough to distract Robin momentarily and Slade pulled his arms behind his back, throwing him up against the window.

"Who will it be this time? You seem to like pretty, young girls, how about I kill a nice high school girl? Huh?" he growled into Robin's ear, twisting his arm and forcing his face against the glass. The threat was enough to make Robin stop fighting.

"No, please. Just don't kill anyone else," he moaned in defeat. Slade gripped his hair again and pulled his head back, forcing him to look into the room. "Open your eyes Robin, look at what you have done." Robin shook his head slightly and Slade whispered in his most dangerous, threatening voice, "Look into the room Robin."

Robin opened his eyes and looked through the glass. Inside the room, the woman was standing in a corner, begging for her life to the man hovering over her. Her face was already slightly swollen and there were several cuts and scratches along her arms. "You think you can just grovel to me? Stupid bitch! _No one_ gets away from me!" the man growled.

"Please, please, I have children! Please don't! I promise I won't tell anyone!" she pleaded.

"Just like you didn't tell anyone last time? I don't think so," he grunted and punched her in the face, sending her flying to the floor. He leaned down and grabbed her feet, "I don't know who brought us together, but I sure owe him a big thank you!" Her nails scratched against the floor as he dragged her into the middle of the room. She started to kick and flail, but he was too strong for her weak frame.

"NOOOO! Please! Someone!" He pulled the shackles that were lying on the floor over and locked them on her feet. Robin started to struggle harder against Slade's grip as she was flipped over, but Slade just pulled his hair harder. George sat down on her waist and she began to throw punches at him, her eyes full of absolute terror at the all too familiar situation. He grabbed her hands and bent down over her face.

"You are going to die tonight," he said with a smile on his face. She began crying harder and he punched her in the face again, this time creating a black eye. He flipped her over, pinning her to the ground, and began to pull her pants down.

"NO! Stop!" Her screams were sending chills down Robin's spine as he was forced to watch.

"Ah, why would I? I have been given a second chance! You will wish that I had killed you the first time after I'm done with you tonight." She continued to wriggle and scream as he continued pulling down her pants. Robin could not believe what he was seeing! He started to flail madly, forcing Slade to let go of his head. Seeing the opportunity, he leaned his head forward and threw it back as hard as he could into Slade's.

Slade let go and took a step back as Robin's head began to throb. He turned around dizzily and kicked Slade in the stomach as hard as he could, this time hitting the mark. Slade tumbled back into the wall and Robin ran forward, preparing for another attack. His punch was blocked, but he had managed to pull the nearest weapon out of Slade's belt.

Slade chuckled as Robin looked down at the shiny gun, the one that he had taken on a mission before, the one that had almost killed him. "So, are you going to shoot me?" Slade teased as Robin gripped the gun tighter.

"What's stopping me?" Robin retorted and Slade chuckled darkly.

"So now you find it acceptable to kill? How, _convenient…" _Robin looked at his face intently. _Now is your chance! Do it! Shoot him! _He knew that he would never have an opportunity like this again, it was now or never. "Do you want to know what is stopping you?" Slade asked. Robin cocked his head, anger on his face.

"Oh, please, do tell," Robin said sarcastically as he lifted the gun and aimed it at Slade's neck. He didn't know if that mask was bulletproof or not.

"Her," he stated and Robin started to listen to the screaming woman. "If you kill me, then you will never be able to open the door and she will surely die a painful death…"

"I can figure out how to open the door without you!" Robin said hesitantly. Slade heard it in his voice and smiled.

"Can you?" Robin squinted his eyes, debating his options. Was he about to kill three people in one night? Because if he killed Slade and couldn't open that door, the woman would get murdered and the man would die of thirst inside the room. So, was he about to let Slade live to save another life? Was she worth sacrificing for the greater good?

With a grunt, Robin lowered the gun and ran towards the door. "Open it! Now!" he shouted back to Slade. Slade smirked as he walked to the frame and pressed another button, unlocking the door. Robin stood in the doorway, knowing that once he entered that room, he would come out a different person. Opening that door was one of the hardest things he had to do in his life, but he did it upon hearing the woman's continued cries for help.

The moment that he had stepped into the room, the door closed and locked behind him. _Shit! _He had planned to go in and brandish the gun around, avoiding actually using it, and pull the woman out. Something deep inside of him knew it would come down to this though, he knew that he would leave the room a killer. He looked over to the horrific scene across the room and lifted his gun.

"Get OFF of her!" he shouted, holding the gun with two shaky arms. The man looked up and stopped what he was doing, laughing at the sight.

"Please, HELP ME!" the woman shouted upon hearing Robin's voice. He avoided looking at her face, not wanting to see the pain in it.

"Or what? You going to shoot me?!" the man chuckled. The woman whimpered as he thrusted forward, eyeing Robin while he did so. This really pissed Robin off, not to mention made him want to barf.

"PLEASE!" the woman began as George continued on, making Robin cock the gun. The man, upon hearing that, stopped what he was doing and pulled the woman's neck back.

"I will fucking break her neck right now," he threatened. "If you know what is good for you, you will get the fuck out of here right now." There was no way this stupid kid was going to shoot him, or he would have done it a long time ago, so George did not feel very worried at all.

Robin looked into the whimpering woman's eyes as she gasped for air. That was it, that did it for him. He looked back up and placed his finger on the trigger, closing his eyes the moment he pulled it. The bullet flew through the air and George's eyes widened slightly before it found its target. He slumped down on top of her and she started crying uncontrollably as she scrambled to get out from under the man. Robin ran forward and pulled him off of her with disgust, his eyes hazing over from shock. _What had just happened? _

Slade had done it, he had gotten Robin to kill, and though he was not an advocator of rape, it had gotten the job done, as unhappy as it made him… He may be many things, including a murderer, but he really hated rape. That was actually why he had chosen George; he figured that he could clean up the streets a bit while training Robin… Two birds, one stone… Though he hadn't expected Robin to wait until it actually happened to take action…

Inside the room, Robin was helping the woman pull her clothes back on. She tried hugging him, but he refused to let her. Something about it made him extremely uncomfortable… After she had her pants back on, she looked over to the dead body on the floor. Hot anger began to burn inside of her upon seeing his body, but it soon turned into joy and she started laughing hysterically.

Robin, who was still leaning over her, stood up and backed into the wall, very perturbed by her sudden amusement. She fell to the floor, unable to control herself as the door opened. _What was wrong with this woman?_ Sure, the man may have raped her, _twice, _but laughing seemed a little drastic. Especially since she could see the carnage in person! But there she was, laughing wildly as she clutched herself on the floor.

Her laughter was soon joined by tears and Robin couldn't tell if they were from sadness or joy. He began to edge along the wall, heading towards the door uneasily, when he was pulled into the other room. Slade walked him to the window and plopped him down before going and shutting the door. The woman sat up and looked at the ceiling, "Thank you! Whoever you are! Thank you!" she shouted before falling back into a fit of giggles.

"See Robin…" Slade purred, "Murder can be justified… You did nothing wrong, she is thanking you. You _saved _her," he reasoned manipulatively. Robin didn't know what to think now… _Had that been right? Or was this woman just crazy? _His whole world was turned around as he found himself starting to believe that it may have been justified. _He was a rapist, after all… _

…

Robin's hunger seemed to disappear and returned to his room to ponder what had just happened, completely forgetting to make sure that Slade had let the woman go.

Fortunately enough for Francine, Slade was a man of his word, and had released her on the outskirts of the city. He had never actually taken her children… And considering that she had only seen him with his mask on, he thought that it was pretty safe to let her go. She wouldn't report anything to the police, not after what she believed he had just done for her. And so, the woman continued on, believing that she owed a debt to Robin, her _savior_…

* * *

Yes, I do realize that her response at the end was not normal, and that was why I pointed out how odd it was...

On another note, thank you for all of the reviews on the last chapter! I was amazed at how many I got! So please, keep it up!


	13. Bandages

-The Disclaimer is in Chapter One-

Man, these delays! I am so sorry, but I am once again on vacation and have had practically no time to write _at all. _The last chapter wasn't exactly the best thing to leave you guys hanging on either, sorry!

Thank you for all of the support and reviews! I love getting those email notifications! As always, enjoy!

* * *

-New York-

Inside a small cabin, surrounded by farmland, sat a man. His eyes drooped from fatigue and he was covered in blood, having refused the shower offered to him. The sun had just come up, but he had not slept at all the night before, his thoughts keeping him from rest. The middle aged couple to whom the house belonged to was sleeping in their bedroom, or at least attempting to, considering what had happened the night before.

The man was in their only other bedroom, although it housed no bed. Since they never had guests, they decided to turn it into a study. Of course they had a blow up mattress, which was sitting in the corner of the room, for the rare occasions when they did have company. Slade sat in a large, cushioned reading chair across the room, looking out the window at the vast field outside. His uniform was chipping small flakes of dry blood, but he wasn't even close to caring at the moment. If one were to guess, they would believe that he was in shock, though of course he would deny it. His eye was however oddly blank as he stared off into space.

The house was actually quite peaceful, the only sounds being that of chirping birds in the trees outside. How it _bothered _him! He wished that there were some noise or movement to distract him, but unfortunately he was stuck there with nothing but his thoughts.

He had thought about what had happened all of last night, his stomach in a knot. He had never experienced that before…. Upon thinking back, he realized that there was a quicker way to the cabin, but he was just too panicked to think about it. The young driver that he had killed would have certainly had the keys to one of the cars in front of the factory. Not to mention all of the other dead mobsters that had cars… As he thought about that he couldn't help but become angrier with himself. It would have saved a ton of time had he driven from the start, but _no, _he had to run all the way down the damn street to get his own car! _Dumbass… _

Another thing that he couldn't help but be pissed off about was the fact that he had not noticed the driver in the first place! He had been there the entire time, sitting inside one of the parked cars, and Slade hadn't noticed him. How could he possibly have made such a stupid mistake?! It really boggled his mind thinking about it. He was a trained assassin! It was his job to notice people! How? Just how?! If he had just made a more careful final sweep of the lot before attacking, Robin wouldn't have been shot.

As he sat there thinking about all the mistakes he made, another thought entered his mind. Why had he reacted the way he had? He had never been so panicked and careless in his life, so why now? His first assumption was that it was just the surprise of it all, but he had had missions go wrong before and had never reacted so strongly. So what was it?

The next, most reasonable explanation was that he was angry over the sudden loss of an apprentice. He _had _spent almost two years now training and polishing the boy to be the best assassin in the world, so naturally he was angry at the thought of losing his investment. Starting over would be a pain in the ass! Having to find someone suitable, attaining them, _keeping _them, training them… it never ended!

And so that's what he settled upon as an explanation. But he couldn't help but wonder… Had he really grown to care for the boy? Had he, after all this time, become accustomed to his presence to the point where he depended on him? It couldn't be possible; he couldn't actually _like _the boy! Robin was purely his apprentice, an object for him to toy with! Yet somehow, something deep inside of him knew that that wasn't entirely true….

A soft knock sounded on the door and Slade looked over as it began to open. Lila stood in the doorway, bags under her eyes from the lack of sleep. "Would you like me to make you a cup of tea?" she asked quietly, her voice tired. _The man must be completely distressed after last night_… She hadn't gotten much rest, having had nightmares whenever she did fall asleep. So, when she saw the sun come up, she decided to just get up and check on her guest.

"No," Slade replied, his voice hoarse from all the yelling.

"I'm sorry but I didn't catch your name, mister-" she paused, waiting for him to finish the sentence.

He hesitated before answering, "Slade." Not like she would know who he was anyways… They didn't even have a television.

"Well Slade, if there is anything you need, feel free to ask," she said as she was about to walk out of the door.

"Actually, I do have something that I need you to do," he replied, stopping her from leaving the doorway.

She looked back at him and nodded expectantly, waiting to hear what he needed. He sat up straight and inhaled, thinking about the day ahead of him. "I need you to watch him while I go and take care of something," he said, nodding towards the sleeping boy on the mattress.

She looked over at Robin with a soft expression, feeling bad for him. "How's he doing?" she asked. Honestly, she hadn't expected him to live last night and honestly, neither did Slade. It was his sheer persistence that had saved Robin. Even after he revived him and stopped the bleeding, he was almost certain that Robin would die from the loss of blood. Luckily for Slade, the human body can survive with a very little amount of blood left in it, though of course Robin would be weak as hell for days. Slade was just happy that he was alive, even if he would be bed ridden for a little while. Having a weak apprentice was better than a dead one, _for the most part… _

"He'll survive…" Slade replied coldly. She didn't like the way that he said that. Last night he had been so concerned, but after the boy was stabilized, he seemed to no longer care. She especially didn't understand why he refused to let Robin go to the hospital afterwards to get more blood.

"Just check on him and make sure that he is still breathing, I should be back in a few hours," he added. He knew that Robin would be okay, for the most part, but he was just paranoid. He had stayed up all night watching Robin breathe, scared that if he fell asleep, he might wake up to a dead apprentice.

"Okay, I'll keep an eye out on him," she promised. She was also slightly paranoid, it would be best to just sit in the room with him until his… _Slade_… came back. Who exactly was this man to him? Considering that he had saved the boy, she decided to just let her suspicions go. He couldn't be all that bad, right?

…

Slade walked out the front door and into the large field. It was a perfectly still day, not even so much as a breeze passing by. Above him was a seemingly endless clear blue sky, any person's dream but Slade's. It just meant more sun and more heat… He could see his car parked in the distance, both of the doors on the left-hand side wide open. _Did I leave the keys in the ignition too?_ His feet made a crunching sound as he walked and he looked down at the dead grass below. A small trail of blood was splattered on the ground, making a faint pathway from the car to the house.

Just looking at the blood trail made his heart accelerate as he thought back to running through that field. He could feel the panic all over again, the complete worry. What was wrong with him?! So what if Robin died?! Why should he care? He _was_ just his apprentice after all. So, why did just the thought of it scare him to death? Why was it that he could not even _picture_ his life without Robin? It just seemed so odd, thinking about not seeing the boy every day.

He approached the car and shut the back door before climbing inside the driver's seat. "Shit." He _had _left the keys in the ignition… _What the hell is wrong with me?! _Of course, he did have more important things on his mind at the time. Deciding to at least give it a shot, he turned the key. After a few moments, he rested his forehead on the wheel. "Knew it," he sighed, pulling the key out. The battery had died and now he was left to walk.

He stepped out of the car and slammed the door shut, not even bothering to lock it. _Who would steal a car out here anyways… _With a grunt of annoyance, he began walking down the long road ahead, once again left alone with nothing but his thoughts.

-Jump City-

It was now the afternoon after Cyborg and Raven's conversation. They had both fully intended to call a meeting immediately after their discussion, but Starfire was nowhere to be found and Beast Boy had finally retreated to his room. So, they decided to leave it until the next day to let everyone cool down. Plus, Cyborg could prepare for the flight with the added time. Their plane hadn't been used in a while and needed some maintenance.

Raven was standing stiffly in front of the window while Cyborg discussed plans on how to find Robin once in the city. Luckily for them, Starfire happened to stroll in, finally giving in to hunger. Upon seeing them, she turned to face the wall, her face indifferent. She had contemplated leaving the Titans to search for Robin on her own, but decided that her best chances were at the tower. The Titans _were_ her only friends in the world. Plus, they did have the best technology around.

"Star, we need to talk," Cyborg said seriously. She made a small _huff_ and opened the fridge.

"I do believe that you have done all the talking a few days ago!" she exclaimed, pulling out a jar of mustard and a loaf of bread as she did so.

"Look, Starfire, there is something you are going to want to see," Raven added.

"I do _not _want to see anything that you have to show me!" she said angrily, obviously still put off about what was said several nights ago.

"It's about Robin," Cyborg stated, trying to catch her attention. It worked as she turned around with an eager expression. "We found him…" he added with a smile.

"Y-you… you did?" she asked breathlessly, her heart speeding up. Within a moment's time she felt nervous, excited, scared, and joyful, _all at the same time_…

"Yeah, he's in New York," Cyborg affirmed.

"You are the sure?" she asked, shaking lightly from nerves. She stood with her hands clasped together, her face hopeful. Raven looked down, recognizing that face. It brought up bad memories that she didn't want to particularly remember.

"Yes, but before I show you why, where is BB?" he asked, "He should be here for this."

"I'll go get him," Raven stated before melting into a portal of black magic.

"And it is really Robin this time?" Starfire asked uneasily. Cyborg could hear the pain in her voice as bad memories haunted her mind. He nodded, sending her heart into the clouds. This was it! They were finally going to save Robin, their friend, their leader! She was beginning to become overwhelmed, feeling more joy in that moment than she had over the past two years. She felt like she was going to explode at any moment.

Several moments later, Raven reappeared, her face slightly sullen behind her uncaring mask. Cyborg looked at her and she nodded, "He's coming." She had just knocked on Beast Boy's door and told him that there was something urgent that needed to be discussed in the ops room. She had never felt more awkward in her life than when he opened that door. Neither could look each other in the face and his emotions practically knocked her out with their intensity. She decided to just teleport back, rather than walk with him.

The door slid open and a very oddly fatigued looking Beast Boy entered the room. Something seemed off with him and quite frankly, he looked depressed.

"Yo, BB!" Cyborg started cheerily, but upon seeing his face, lowered his voice, "Are you okay?" Beast Boy nodded, avoiding eye contact with his friend. Cyborg paused, not certain whether or not to pursue the matter or just continue with the news.

"Tell Beast Boy the wonderful news!" Starfire piped in cheerily. The sound of her voice threw Beast Boy off as his ears perked up. He hadn't heard that tone of voice in a few months. Not since…

He looked up, his face lifting slightly, as he gave Cyborg a questioning look. "BB, we found Robin!" he exclaimed.

"What?!" Beast Boy shouted, completely shocked. "Are you serious?!" Cyborg nodded and Starfire giggled in excitement. "Where? When? How do you know?!" His mind was reeling with questions, hadn't they just four nights ago argued over giving up on him?

"He is in New York, but I don't know for how much longer, so we have to move fast." Everyone was looking at Cyborg eagerly except Raven, who was hiding her face in the shadows of her hood.

"Wait, so we're going to New York?!" Beast Boy asked elatedly.

"Yeah, look, we're wasting time. The plane is ready and all we need to do is pack, so let me just explain real quick so that we can go," Cyborg said, wanting to leave as soon as possible. At the mention of leaving so quickly, Starfire made an odd chirping sound. "Remember how that biotech company was robbed a while back?" he asked and everyone, except Raven, nodded. "Well, they finally released the description of the attacker and well… you should read this." He picked up two papers, identical to the one that he gave Raven, and handed them to the two other Titans.

Beast Boy began to read the paper, his heart speeding up as he did so. "_About a week ago, Neuro Link Inc., an up and coming biotech company was attacked. The authorities have released a description of the perpetrator based off of several eye witness accounts: The attacker was described as a white male in his late teens to early twenties in peak physical shape. He was supposedly wearing two different articles of clothing throughout the attack: the first being a lab coat with the company's insignia, and the second being a full body suit. The body suit was described as solid black with a large orange 'S' across the entire front of the torso. He was also wearing a small eye covering mask and possessed a small stock of weapons including, but not limited to: smoke bombs, explosive bombs, and flash bombs. He is considered to be very dangerous, so do not approach him if you see him, but rather call the New York Police Department at-" _Beast Boy had stopped reading towards the end of the article, not seeing it necessary to read the contact information for the New York Police Department. He already had those numbers memorized anyways…

Being the last to finish, Beast Boy looked up at Cyborg, his expression triumphant. "See! I told you so!" he exclaimed happily, not actually trying to brag. "And you wanted to give up! If we had we'd have never found him!" Immediately after finishing the sentence, he looked over to Raven, cutting off abruptly. She remained hidden behind her hood, showing no response to what he had just said.

"I'm going to go pack," she murmured before engulfing herself in her magic again. Beast Boy watched her disappear, regretting his previous remark.

"I will go too!" Starfire exclaimed happily before running out of the room on the verge of flight. Cyborg and Beast Boy stood alone in the room, left to awkward silence.

"I guess you were right…" Cyborg admitted, his arm scratching the back of his neck.

"Yeah, I guess so…" Beast Boy suddenly didn't feel so boastful anymore. "Well, I guess we better go pack," he said, trying to get off topic.

"I'm already packed," Cyborg replied. In fact, he was pretty sure that Raven had already packed last night after doing some serious research on abandoned buildings in New York.

"Oh." Since when had it become so awkward with Cyborg? He was supposed to be the one person Beast Boy could be comfortable around… The two stood in silence for a short while before Beast Boy made towards the door.

"Wait, BB…" Cyborg called after him.

"Yeah?" Beast Boy replied, sticking his head back in through the door.

"Look, I'm just… If it wasn't for you and your… persistence, we would have never found him… ya know?" he said, wanting to tell Beast Boy how grateful he was.

"Oh, don't worry about it… We all contributed, in our own way," he trailed off, walking into the hallway as he did so. He honestly hated taking all the credit, Cyborg was the one who looked into New York and found Robin anyways…

"Well thanks…" Cyborg said to the retreating back of his friend. He didn't particularly know what to do at this point since he was already packed and ready to go. So, he settled upon eating a not so small snack. It was a long flight after all and he would only be able to eat once on the plane.

As he fingered through the food selection in the fridge he thought back to all of the previous leads. "Let's just hope he doesn't slip through our fingers again…" he whispered to no one, becoming slightly nervous at the thought of everyone's excitement. _He won't, I won't let him this time… This time, we will save Robin. _

-New York-

The sun was starting to set as the afternoon winded down. Inside a small cabin, a man was sitting on the couch, reading a book, while his wife sat next to a sleeping boy in an adjoining room.

Robin's eyes fluttered as he started to regain consciousness and he let out a small groan. He felt _so_ weak. As his eyes opened fully, he could see the face of a kind woman, most likely in her fifties, looking at him with concern.

"Hey, Allen! He's waking up!" Robin could hear her shout across the house, though it was very muddled. His head pounded as he looked around the room. _Where was he?!_ He tried to think back to the last thing that he could remember, but found that it just hurt his head more. "Hey sweetie, how are you feeling?" the woman asked softly. _In what world does a kind woman, calling me sweetie, wake me up?!_ Robin was thoroughly confused at the moment.

He groaned again and tried to sit up, not liking that he didn't know where he was or who he was with. His head began to spin and the woman grabbed his torso and pressed him back down. "Don't sit up hun, you'll hurt yourself." Robin felt a constricting pain in his chest and his hand flew to his bandages.

"Where am I? Who are you?" he asked, his usually monotonous voice full of bewilderment. Allen was now standing in the back of the room near the door, watching the boy's eyes dart along the room.

"Don't worry! My name is Lila, and that," she said, pointing towards the man in the back, "is my husband Allen. We are watching you while your… _caretaker_ is away." She didn't know what else to call him since she didn't know their relation to each other.

"My caretaker?" he asked confusedly.

"Yes, Slade, I believe." At the mention of that name, Robin sighed as his eyes glazed over again. Lila mistook this as relief and decided to continue, "He brought you to our house to save you… He did a very good job! You were in… not good condition…" she trailed off, wanting to put her foot in her mouth.

"Do you remember what happened?" Allen asked, joining the conversation. As Robin was about to reply with a 'no', Lila spoke up, cutting him off.

"Allen!" she gasped, "Leave the poor boy to rest! He obviously does not want to relive what happened the moment he wakes up!" She didn't want to overwhelm the poor kid; after all, he must be pretty traumatized.

"Sorry, sorry," he said defensively, raising his hands in defeat. Robin rather liked this couple, they were… _sweet_.

"How about I get you a nice cup of soup?" she asked, trying to sound soothing.

"Where is Slade?" Robin asked, completely throwing her off guard.

"Um, well… I don't really know… He said that he had some business to take care of before leaving…" she explained, "but don't worry! He said he would be back soon!" She was trying to cheer Robin up, not knowing that the effect would be the exact opposite.

Robin couldn't help but be slightly pissed… So here he was, lying in a stranger's bed, apparently gravely injured, and Slade was off doing business! _What a dick!_ At least he would get a few hours of good company before having to go back to his normal life. He was honestly shocked that he felt angry, because first of all, he didn't feel emotions anymore, and second of all, he shouldn't want Slade there anyways. He decided to blame it on the injury… Must have messed with his mental barrier…

"Now how about that soup?" she asked. Even if he didn't want it, she was going to force it down his throat; he needed to eat. Luckily for her, he wasn't so reluctant and nodded enthusiastically at the thought of food.

…

"So, what is your name?" Allen asked, looking at the boy sipping soup across from him at the table. Lila was listening as she cleaned the pots and dishes.

He looked up at the man, a spoon in hand, "Robin."

"Robin?" Allen asked with a chuckle. He didn't even know that that was a name, let alone a _male's _name. His wife looked back, giving him a disapproving look, to which he responded with a shrug.

"It's a nickname my mother used to call me by, it just kind of stuck," Robin explained.

"And your mother is?..." Allen pressed, not sure whether or not he wanted to know.

"Dead," Robin answered emotionlessly. Lila stopped cleaning suddenly, extremely angry that her husband had asked such a question.

"I'm sorry…" he apologized awkwardly, regretting being so nosy.

"It's fine," Robin assured, taking another bite of his meal. It had been _years _since he had thought of his parents, it didn't bother him anymore, especially recently.

"So, that man… Slade, he is your father?"

"Allen! Stop pressing the boy!" Lila shouted across the room. "Just let him enjoy his meal in peace!" Although she was angry at his incessant questioning, she too was curious about whom Slade was.

"No, it's fine… Slade, he is my…" Robin fought the urge to say master, as it would not sound particularly good to the couple across from him. "Uncle…" He didn't want to call Slade his father, but he thought it best if they thought that they were related. Uncle was good enough…

Allen wanted to ask what had happened to Robin's father, but seeing his wife's expression, decided against it. Perhaps later…

The three sat in silence in the living room after Lila had finished cleaning the dishes. Allen was reading while Robin looked around the room, staring at a particularly large blood stain in the carpet.

"How long have you two been married?" he asked, deciding that for the first time in over a year, he could let his guard down and act human.

"Oh, just about forever," Allen joked. Lila slapped him lightly on the arm before continuing knitting.

"Twenty Seven years in May," she said contentedly. "We met when we were just school kids, but didn't get together until after high school. This _fool_ just couldn't get up the courage to ask me on a date!" she said, slapping Allen again. Robin stared at the two, disbelieving at how happy they still seemed.

"Hey! That's not true! I just… okay, yeah it's true…" he admitted, chuckling slightly. "But hey, I got you in the end didn't I?" If Robin hadn't spent all the time with Slade that he had, he might have smiled at that. He used to like seeing older couples who were still in love, it was a rare sight.

"And not a moment too soon!" she laughed. Allen had put down his book and Lila seemed to be reminiscing by the look in her eyes. After a few moments, she looked back at Robin. "Tell me, is there a special lady in your life?" she asked.

Robin felt like a brick had hit him in the chest, he hadn't thought about that in forever… "Um… well… Uh…" he rambled, not knowing what to say, when three loud knocks were heard on the broken door. He made to stand up, but was stopped by Lila before he could get out of the chair.

"Just sit and relax," she commanded before walking to open the door. The sound of the door opening with a loud creak was followed by heavy footsteps walking through the hallway. Robin leaned his head to the side, knowing that sound. Lila re-entered the room, closely followed by Slade. He was in a new uniform and held a small duffle bag in his hand.

"Has he eaten yet?" he asked with a musky voice.

"Yes, we gave him a bowl of pea soup and some crackers," Lila answered.

He grunted in response before walking over to Robin and dropping the bag on the floor. "New uniform for you…." Robin looked down at the bag, not particularly feeling like getting up and putting on a skin tight body suit. The loose clothes Lila had put him in were extremely comfortable. "We need to change your bandages," Slade grunted as he pulled out a medical kit from the bag.

Robin sighed and Slade began to pull him out of the chair, knowing that he was too weak to stand up on his own. "Can we do it here?" Robin asked. Slade gave him a suspicious look before sitting him back down in the chair. Lila and Allen looked at each other while Slade began to pull Robin's shirt off. The bandages around his chest were light pink and badly needed to be replaced. He began to tear them off, being careful to not aggravate the wound into bleeding again.

"What happened?" Robin asked quietly. Slade was towering over him as he sat, unwrapping him quickly. He stopped what he was doing and looked down at Robin's face, still leaning over him. He didn't think that Robin would have memory loss… Allen and Lila both stopped what they were doing, listening carefully. They were after all, very curious about what had happened.

"We were… _at work_… when you were shot… someone who wasn't accounted for," Slade said expressionlessly, being mindful of the listening couple, before continuing with his work.

"I was shot?" he asked breathlessly. He couldn't believe it, he never made mistakes.

"Yes, missed your lung by half an inch…" Slade explained stiffly. _Would it kill this man to show any sort of emotion?_ "Brought you here since it was the closest inhabited building."

Robin looked down to the ruined carpet. "Did I almost die?" he asked, much to Lila and Allen's discomfort. Slade stopped what he was doing again and stood there with the old bandages in his hands. Something changed in his eye, but it was too small for Robin to notice.

"You did die," he stated, turning to throw the bandages in the medical bag before grabbing a new set.

"Oh." Robin's face remained the same, not showing any indication that he had just been told about his own, almost permanent, death.

"For two minutes…" Slade added, remembering all the pumping he did. Lila winced and Robin's eyes narrowed slightly as Slade began cleaning the wound. After several minutes of silence, Robin was bandaged up and ready to go to bed. Even after all of the sleep he got this morning, he was still tired.

He crawled into the sheets of his blow up mattress and huffed as he dropped his head on the pillow. Slade had gone to the kitchen to grab something to eat after dropping him off in the room, not saying a word to him as he did so.

A soft knock sounded and the door opened. Lila walked into the room, closing the door behind her before sitting on the edge of Robin's bed. She put the back of her hand to his forehead, feeling for his temperature. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Fine." Both knew that that wasn't entirely true.

"Look," she said, checking behind her shoulder to make sure they were alone, "I know he may seem very hard, but he really cares about you… I can tell." Robin's face remained the same, making Lila sigh. Why was it that he hid behind such an emotionless mask? She had noticed it since he first opened his eyes. It kind of frightened her, how empty they were. What had happened to him to make him so distant? "Honey, if there is something wrong, you can tell me. I promise I won't tell a soul, I'm a very good secret keeper," she said, trying to lighten the mood a bit. When he didn't reply, she decided to leave him be.

"If there is anything that you need, do not hesitate to ask. I am here for you sweetie, you are safe now," she said before leaving him alone in the room. _Safe…_ Robin sat there for a while, thinking about the concept, so foreign, so unreal…. _Safe…._

* * *

I regret to inform you that it might be another week until an update, so I apologize in advance! Thank you for reading and please review!


	14. Confessions

-The Disclaimer is in Chapter One-

Thank you for all the wonderful reviews! You guys are the best!

* * *

-New York-

While Robin lay in his bed, having finally fallen asleep, Lila and Allen were in their own room, quite awake. The two were sitting in bed and reading books, as was their routine. Though one of them couldn't seem to concentrate as her mind kept wandering off elsewhere. With a sigh, Lila dropped her book into her lap, having read the same sentence five times in a row, and looked over at Allen.

After being stared at intently for about a minute, Allen got the hint and put his book down. "What's wrong?" he sighed agitatedly. He knew that if he ignored her he would just be worse off in the long run.

"I just… I can't stop thinking about that poor boy," she admitted, happy that they were finally alone long enough for her to get that off her chest.

"Yeah I know, unfortunate what happened to him…" Allen affirmed, trying to end the conversation by just agreeing with his wife, as was his learned method. He wasn't particularly in the mood to share feelings right now… or _ever_….

"No, not that… I mean that _was_ unfortunate, but I mean, he just seems so distant and… _sad_." She could see the depression in Robin's eyes, beyond the uncaring exterior. He really didn't seem to be alive at all. At first she thought it was the shock of nearly dying, but after spending time with him earlier today, she was beginning to think otherwise.

"Well, he was just told that he died Lila. I think anyone might be a little _sad_ hearing that," Allen explained, fidgeting with his pillow to get comfortable as he did so.

"No, it's something different. I can't explain it, but it seems like he's already dead, like there is no life in him. And he's so young… too young… I tried talking to him, but he insisted that he was fine." Allen was now the one giving _her_ a disapproving look.

"Maybe he just doesn't want to talk, or maybe, just maybe, there is nothing actually wrong," he hypothesized. "Or maybe he doesn't want to spill his heart out to a woman he just met. So, to quote someone quite intelligent, stop pressing the boy!" Lila was quite taken aback from being spoken to in such a manner and gave Allen a look that made him quite uneasy. _Great, now I'm in trouble… _

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be so rude," he apologized, trying to salvage the situation. "All I'm saying is that if the boy wants to talk, he will come to you. If not, then just leave him be." His wife looked down at the comforter, thinking about the truth in his words. She didn't want to be one of those people who pressed everything out of others; she was just trying to help the kid.

"Yeah, you're right… But I'm also curious about his Uncle," she said worriedly.

"What about him? He's seems all right…" What was with his wife and her endless concerns?!

"Well then, why did he refuse so adamantly to call the police or an ambulance? Huh?" she asked, getting no response. "It could have been the difference between life and death for the boy! And why were they both wearing masks?" Allen put his hand up, stopping her from talking.

"It doesn't really matter now, Robin is alive isn't he?"

"Yes, but-"

"No, no buts. Don't go looking into this Lila, just leave it alone. They both seem nice enough. It would be rude to give them the third degree, they are our guests and they haven't done anything so far to make us not trust them. So just leave it alone, just this once." Allen honestly didn't care who they were, for all he knew 'Robin' and 'Slade' could be fake names, they certainly sounded like it. So long as they didn't do anything to harm him or his wife, he really didn't want to know.

"But what about the masks? Most people don't walk around wearing skin tight suit things and masks! And the fact that Robin got shot!" She lowered her voice and looked to the door. "Do you think that they are criminals?" she whispered, not wanting to be overheard.

"I don't know, but I'm certainly not going to ask! It would be better for everyone if we just kept the peace. They could be secret government agents or they could be bank robbers, the latter being more likely, but I don't care. All I care about is that you are safe! Plus, think of what a good deed we are doing, letting them stay here! You are always talking about how you wish you could do more for other people, so here's your opportunity." Lila's face softened as she thought about that. This _was_ a perfect opportunity to reach out to others.

"Now, can I get back to reading my book?" he asked, clearly annoyed. Lila nodded and rolled over, pulling the covers up to her neck and thinking about what he had just said. Her husband was right; she shouldn't question them, especially considering what Robin just went through. It didn't matter who they were, so long as they remained nice. So, she decided to let just her suspicions go and be a good hostess, making their stay as comfortable as possible for as long as they were there.

…

Slade had just finished eating and was now sitting in the living room; not feeling tired enough to go to sleep. He was sick of having nothing to do! It had only been a few days of inactivity so far and he was already going insane! He preferred to be left alone with his thoughts most of the time, but that was when he had serious strategic planning to do. Now he was just sitting around twiddling his thumbs, stuck contemplating everything.

He began to think about Robin's near death, _again_. Before, he had just been thinking about everything that went wrong, nit picking his reaction to the situation, but now he was wondering about what might have happened.

What if Robin had died? What would he do? Honestly, he had no idea, he had never thought about what he would do should Robin die. Would he continue on with his global city takeover? He could do it alone, but would he really want to? It would make things much slower and almost pointless. What was the use of controlling all the major cities in the world if you have no one to pass it onto one day?

If he didn't continue on, then what would he do to occupy his time? Perhaps he could have gotten back into the assassin for hire business, taken his mind off things. Though he had become used to being the boss, becoming the worker again would be a difficult transition…

Had he truly become that accustomed to Robin? It couldn't be possible! When did he suddenly become _needy_?! When did Robin suddenly become his partner rather than his worker? It couldn't be true; Robin was his property, nothing more... Becoming sick of his internal struggle, Slade stood up and walked to the study. He wasn't supposed to question himself; he was the one in control!

Inside the room, the boy in question was lying on the blow up mattress, obviously deep in sleep by the sound of his snoring. Slade approached Robin and stood over him, watching him breathe. His face looked exactly same asleep as it did awake, both being equally blank.

If Robin wasn't used to Slade staring at him possessively all the time, it might have scared him if he woke up. Luckily for him, he was far gone in a dreamless sleep, as was his norm. He no longer had dreams, not after he receded into himself and became a shell of a person. Giving up was the only way that he could keep from the nightmares.

Slade watched the boy sleep; thinking about how ridiculous it was that he seemed to need him. He sat down on the edge of the bed, making sure not to wake Robin, and rested his head in his hands with a sigh of annoyance. This was never supposed to happen; he was supposed to be in control. That was how he liked it; he _needed _to be the one in control. And now he seemed to be losing it… ever since he had gained a_ partner_… He had always worked alone, so why did he decide to change that in the first place? "Why do I need you?" he expressed quietly, instantly becoming appalled with himself afterwards. _Did that seriously just come out of my mouth?! _With a grunt of anger, he stood back up harshly and stormed out of the room, furious with himself.

Robin continued to sleep, unknowing that Slade had just admitted something out loud that he couldn't even admit internally.

-Somewhere in the Midwest-

The Titans now sat in the T-ship, having packed and left the Tower a little over an hour ago. The plane had however been completely remodeled since Robin went missing. Flying with an empty compartment was just too depressing, so Cyborg decided to rebuild it to be like a normal plane with one area for controlling the ship. Now there were five chairs sitting at different levels throughout one large room, with only one having control over the actual ship. The fifth was installed should they ever find Robin and have to fly him back home.

Cyborg sat in the front of the room at the command station, humming lightly. Behind him were three chairs that sat side by side at different heights. Raven sat towards the far right, raised on a platform, while Starfire sat in the middle at ground level. The chair on the left was also raised on a platform, but was empty.

In the very back of the cabin was the extra seat, which currently had Beast Boy in it. He didn't particularly feel like sitting with the others right now, no matter how happy the occasion may be. Raven had taken notice of his odd mood since he first came out of his room, but had decided not to say anything considering the terms they were on.

"Goin to New York! Yeah baby!" Cyborg shouted happily, giving in to the enthusiasm despite his reservations. Starfire chirped in excitement and started bouncing in her seat, unable to control herself. Upon seeing this, Raven stood up and walked towards the cargo room, her cloak hiding her face as she did so. Beast Boy watched her as she left the room, lowering his head afterwards to look at the floor.

"How long do you think until we arrive in the New of York?" Starfire asked eagerly, clearly unable to contain her glee.

Cyborg glanced back at her, smiling, "A few hours, assuming that nothing goes wrong." Starfire's eyebrows furrowed in confusion at the remark. "Don't worry, nothing will happen, I just fixed her up, she'll run fine," he assured, patting the control system as he did so. It had been a while since the two sounded so… _normal…_

Starfire sat back and tried to relax, to no avail. She couldn't help it, they were about to save Robin! They were finally going to get him back; _she_ was finally going to get him back! And nothing would get in her way, not even Slade. She would do anything to save Robin, _anything. _She just hoped that he wasn't too troubled afterwards; she wanted things to go back to the way they used to be. Being the naïve girl that she was, she truly believed that everything would go back to normal relatively soon after rescuing him.

Cyborg, however, was a little more realistic with his expectations. He fully expected Robin to be traumatized and require years of counseling. He honestly didn't even believe that Robin would continue on with being a hero afterwards. He fully expected Robin to hang up the cape and try to live a normal life. Unlike Starfire, he knew that Robin was probably forced to do things he didn't want to, maybe even including murder. Little did he know that Robin's body count was now in the triple digit area, going on quadruple.

Beast Boy was becoming concerned now that Raven had been gone for over ten minutes. He stood up, looking over at the other two titans, and made for the cargo door. Neither Cyborg nor Starfire had noticed that two of their friends were now missing from the control room.

Inside the cargo compartment, Beast Boy stood still, trying to find his teammate. It was extremely dark and all he could make out were shadows. As his vision began to adjust, he heard soft footsteps towards the left of the room. He began to walk towards the sound, bumping his shins on every box and bag along the way and making hissing noises each time. Raven already knew that he was in the room, having sensed him, but waited until he had hit his shin for the fifth time to finally come out of the shadows.

"What is it Beast Boy?" she asked monotonously, looking at the boy bent over and clutching his knees before her. He stood up abruptly, a blush forming on his face that was completely concealed in the darkness.

"Um- well… I wanted to see if you were okay… You kind of just disappeared…" he explained, rambling awkwardly.

"I'm fine," she replied, hinting for him to leave her alone.

"Ah, okay then…" Both stared at each other for some time in silence before Raven shifted her weight in discomfort.

"So… is that it?" she asked, trying to get him to leave, though she knew that he came here for a reason other than checking on her.

"Well, no… I kind of wanted to…um-" Raven raised her eyebrows, waiting for him to just say it, waiting for him to rub it in and yell at her for being wrong. She deserved it after all; she had tried to make them give up on Robin. If she had had it her way, then they would never be heading to New York right now and Robin would be stuck with Slade forever... All because she couldn't handle the stress anymore. It had been eating away at her since she heard Cyborg's news, she couldn't find rest anywhere with all the guilt, not even through meditation.

"I'm sorry!" he cried out, causing Raven to take a step back in surprise. She looked at him with bewilderment, her usual façade completely gone.

_"You're _sorry?" she asked breathlessly.

Beast Boy couldn't contain it anymore and just blurted everything out in one go. "I'm so sorry! I have been so mean to you lately and all we have been doing is arguing. I know that you just had all of us in mind, you were just trying to protect us and I yelled at you. I am so, so, so sorry Rae!" If at all possible, she looked even more shocked from being called 'Rae'. He hadn't called her that since they started arguing after the first failed rescue attempt. "And I am especially sorry for what I called you. You did not deserve that and I am disgusted with myself! There is no excuse for what I did! You are not at all a-a bitch…" Having finished, he stopped to breathe, hoping that she could somehow begin to forgive him.

After spending time cooling off in his room two days ago, he had come to realize that Raven did not deserve to be called that. He had been so guilty the past few days that he could barely think straight. All he could concentrate on was finding a way to apologize to her, but he couldn't seem to get up the courage until now. If only he knew that she had spent the same amount of time trying to find a way to apologize to him.

"Say something Rae, please. Yell at me if you have to, but just say something!" he shouted at the dazed girl in front him. He was beginning to think that she was too angry at him to respond. She made a small throaty sound and opened her mouth, but no words came out. Did he really just apologize? _To me?_ "Say something!" he repeated, his voice pleading.

"I-I… Beast Boy," she said softly. He nodded eagerly, waiting to get an ear full from her. "I'm… sorry too." It was now Beast Boy's turn to be shocked; that certainly wasn't what he had expected to hear. "I behaved immaturely and I was wrong. I thought I knew what was best for the team, but I forgot that Robin was part of the team. I wasn't thinking about what was best for him, but what was easiest for me. I started to make myself believe that if we moved on, we could be happy again and it would somehow be less painful, but that was selfish of me, I realize that now." She paused, thinking about what she wanted to say.

"I'm sorry that things have been so tense with us lately, I don't know why I have been shutting all of you out… And if it weren't for you Beast Boy, we wouldn't have found Robin. If you guys had listened to me, then he would have been lost forever. I gave up on him and on you all, and for that I am truly sorry," she apologized with all sincerity.

She felt like a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders, like she finally could breathe again. "Rae," he sighed in disbelief. "Don't… don't… it's okay. Like you said, you did what you thought was best for the team and that's what matters."

"That does not make it excusable…" she stated, looking down and trying to hide her face in the shadows.

Beast Boy paused and looked at her for a moment, feeling bad that she felt so guilty. He could see it on her face. "I forgive you Rae," he replied softly. Upon hearing that, she felt slightly better; though still not completely guilt free. "Do you forgive me?" he asked painfully, knowing that he didn't deserve her forgiveness. Not after what he had called her…

She nodded and he smiled in response. "Thank you Rae."

"Don't thank me," she said uncomfortably. "How about we get back to the cabin? I bet the other two are wondering where we are." Beast Boy nodded in conjecture and the two started walking towards the door with him in the lead. Both felt slightly embarrassed, but pleased with what just happened. It had been so long since they were on good terms. It was sad considering what good friends they used to be… Both just hoped that this was the beginning of a new era, one where the Titans could live in peace together_; all of them_... Hopefully the next time they were on this plane, it would be as a team, full and complete again.

Beast Boy had reached the door when he stopped suddenly, causing Raven to almost bump into him. He turned around and looked at her intently, much to her discomfort. "And Rae?" Raven nodded for him to continue, wondering what else he could possibly have to say. "Don't ever leave. When I told you to leave the tower and the Titans, I didn't mean it. Don't ever leave us!" he said in all seriousness.

"I won't Beast Boy."

"Promise?" he asked forcefully, almost as if it was a command.

"Promise."

-New York-

It was now mid-morning and the small cabin was buzzing with life. Lila was cleaning the aftermath of a particularly large breakfast while Robin sat at the table, offering help that would be quickly denied. Slade and Allen were sitting in the living room, discussing various topics such as guns, the military, and exercise regimes. Far away, but closer than ever, were the Titans, sitting in the T-ship and looking over a map of New York. Cyborg and Raven had already made a list of districts and buildings to check and they were now just making a schedule. If only Robin knew that his ex-teammates were closer than they had ever been to him.

"Are you sure you don't want help with that?" He was trying to be polite, but Lila would not have it.

"For the last time, no! You just sit back and relax. You need your rest," she commanded. It was true, Robin still felt weak and tired, though he was almost fully recovered.

After a few minutes of silence, Lila finished cleaning the dishes and plopped down onto a chair across from Robin with a sigh. She could tell he was still holding back, hiding behind a mask. "So Robin, tell me a bit about yourself," she said, trying to get him to open up.

"There's nothing much to tell." _Besides the fact that I was raised by Batman, formed my own superhero team, was kidnapped by an evil mastermind who forced me into submission, and am a cold blooded killer…_

"Oh, I'm sure that's not true, what do you like to do?" That was an easy question; he_ had_ to open up a little with that.

"Nothing," he replied emotionlessly.

"Nothing?" she asked skeptically, her eyebrows raised. "There is nothing that you like to do?"

"No." His face was blank as he spoke; she had noticed that the more that time went on, the more empty he became. He was a lot livelier after he woke up from his gunshot wound. She would have to do something about that…and soon, before he died from lack of human qualities.

"Well then, how about that question I asked last night?" she suggested playfully. "Is there a special someone in your life?" Robin's face twitched slightly and she smiled, knowing that there was someone. "Who is she? Tell me about her," she encouraged.

"No one, there's no one special in my life," he declared adamantly, seeing truth behind it.

"Ah, but there was?" _Damn this woman and her need to connect with me…_ She smiled again, encouraging him to vent.

"Not anymore," he said emptily. Though he had no tone in his voice, she could tell that there was pain there, even if he didn't show it or admit it.

"What happened?" Upon getting no answer, she placed her hands across the table on his. "Everything that you say to me is safe; I promise that I won't tell a soul! You can trust me sweetie," she assured soothingly.

Robin eyed her skeptically. Perhaps he should just say something to get her off his back. He could act human for a day, it might kill him, but he could do it. All he had to do was pretend like he cared, like he had feelings and emotions…Trying desperately to make his face look normal, he decided to throw her a bone.

"We grew apart," he said truthfully. Just because he was acting, didn't mean that he couldn't be honest about it. And honestly, how different was 'I was kidnapped and I haven't seen her in nearly two years' from 'We grew apart'? Practically the same!

"Why did you grow apart?" She sounded genuinely concerned for him, something that he was not used to.

"I'm not the same person I was before," he answered, once again truthfully. He wasn't even close to being the same person, not even his body was the same as it had been so badly marked and abused.

"Well, hun, if she truly cared about you, then she would understand. She would accept the new you!"

"No, she, of all the people from my past life would not understand." _Past life?_ Lila couldn't help but wonder what that meant. "None of them would accept me, I'm different now. They wouldn't like the new me," he said, knowing that they would be appalled by him if they met him. He was now everything that they, that he, ever hated and worked against.

"Do _you_ like the new you?" she asked, striking a nerve. He hadn't expected her to ask such a tough and personal question. He of course knew the answer to that. _No, I despise the new me. _He didn't even like calling himself by the term 'me'; he preferred to distance himself from well, himself.

Seeing a flash of what she interpreted as pain in his face, Lila squeezed his hand sympathetically. He was becoming pretty good at acting… "If you don't like who you are, then change it." Robin looked her in the eyes for the first time since she sat down.

"It's too late to change," he said painfully. "There's no turning back now…"

She squeezed his hands and looked into his still empty eyes. "It's _never_ too late to change," she emphasized encouragingly. She thoroughly believed this to be true, having witnessed amazing transformations in her lifetime. Robin appeared unmoved, so she pulled his hands in further towards her. "Listen Robin, it's never too late to become who you want to be, no matter your past. What you decide to do now defines who you will become. _You_ choose who you are, no one else can choose for you."

_Wow, she is really insightful…_ But could it be true? Could you really decide who you wanted to be when you are held prisoner? When you are punished for doing what you want and rewarded for doing what your master commands? Her words reached Robin on a level he didn't know he had. They would stick with him forever, haunting his mind for the rest of his days.

…

Meanwhile, in the front room, Allen and Slade were standing at the front door with a toolbox on the ground next to them.

"Well, it looks like it was mostly damage to the hinges, nothing major, thank God," Allen observed. "Lila would kill me if I didn't get this fixed today," he laughed. Slade leaned over him and looked at the damage to the door itself. Besides a minor crack in the wood towards the top right corner, Allen was right, there really was none.

"Let me do it," Slade commanded, realizing afterwards that he might have said that a little too forcefully. He was so used to telling Robin what to do that that was how he spoke now. Allen looked up at him as he was crouched down. "I broke it, I should fix it," Slade explained. That was as close to an apology as the man was going to get.

"That's really not necessary…" Allen replied modestly.

"You are offering your house and food to us, just let me fix the door." Allen stood up and stepped aside, allowing for Slade to move in closer. He pulled some tools out of the box and began to work on fixing the hinges attached to the door. Allen stood over him, watching as he worked. This guy really wasn't so bad; Lila just needs to learn to trust people.

"So, you and your nephew work together?" he asked, trying to dispel the silence as it made him uncomfortable. Slade stopped what he was doing and looked up at the man. _Nephew?_

"Yes," he replied. "Almost two years now."

"How do you like that? Working with your relative?" Allen asked curiously. He knew that he could never work with relatives; it would put too much strain on the relationship.

"It's fine. Robin is an excellent worker. It took me a while to train him, but once he got it, he really excelled," Slade said proudly, not quite knowing why he was telling the man anything. Allen seemed to mean well, and weirdly enough, Slade felt that he could honestly trust him.

"Oh, so you trained him? Is it a family business type thing?"

"I guess you could say so. The whole reason I started training him was so that I could pass it on to him one day," he admitted, saying it more for himself than for Allen. Allen nodded and made a small 'hmph' sound, not having anything else to ask without getting too personal.

"What about you? Do you have any kids?" Slade asked, carrying on the conversation for unknown reasons. He figured, why not? What did he have to lose from talking to someone who helped save Robin's life? He and Robin seemed to be acting extraordinarily _human_ today….

"Yeah, me and Lila have a son in Chicago, Kevin," he said proudly.

"How old?" Slade asked as he continued working on the door.

"Twenty-Nine," he explained. Allen's face fell as he thought of his son. Kevin hadn't visited them since his twenty-fifth birthday. They honestly didn't even know if he still lived in Chicago. They had tried contacting him, but his phone always went to voicemail. So, for now, they were just waiting for the day that they would get a call from their one and only child.

Slade made a noise of acknowledgment and the two stood in silence for the remainder of the time, neither able to think of anything worth talking about.

* * *

You all can interpret Robin and Lila's conversation however you want to. I figure you all will have different opinions as to whether or not he was still acting towards the end... And by the way, I love how you all interpreted Slade's reaction to Robin getting shot differently, it was extremely interesting to read your guys' opinions! So, once again, please review! Because I adore reading your reviews!


	15. Familiar Faces

-The Disclaimer is in Chapter One-

It has been exactly two months since I published the first chapter! So, here is Chapter 15 to celebrate!

* * *

-New York-

"Nothing," Raven sighed, having just come out of a building to inform her teammates of its vacancy. Cyborg and Beast Boy growled in annoyance as she walked towards them. They were standing by the fence of an abandoned factory, waiting for the verdict. All of them decided it would be best to just send one person in while the others stood guard. If anything happened, then they would join the one sent in to investigate.

Starfire stood at the gate, leaning on a pole with a frustrated and disappointed look on her face. "Don't worry, we still have two thirds of the city left to search, and that's just in abandoned buildings…" Cyborg assured, getting a look of hope from Starfire.

"Yeah, and we still have to talk to the police on the scene of that robbery. There's still plenty to go on Star," Beast Boy added. She nodded and walked to join them at the front of the fence.

"So, what is next on the agenda?" Beast Boy asked, already becoming tired of searching random buildings. They had spent the past several hours taking a tour of the city's ruins and he was sick of it. He wanted to go through the police records and search the inner city. He hadn't planned to go factory shopping on the first day, but had been outvoted by Raven and Cyborg who wanted to start the search immediately.

"Looks like there is another factory several blocks north of here, plenty of space for a base, I say we check it out," Cyborg explained, looking down at a map as he did so. Raven looked down at her list of addresses, checking to see where he was talking about.

"42278 Haven Boulevard?" she asked.

"Um… yup, that's the one," he confirmed as she checked it off the list. As much as Beast Boy hated it, staying organized was the key to maintaining an effective search. They didn't need to be repeating any searches by accident or missing a building due to poor documentation.

"Can we at least get something to eat first?" Everyone looked over at Beast Boy, a mixed group of reactions on their faces. Honestly, Cyborg could go for some food, especially considering that they hadn't eaten in several hours and had missed his normal lunch time. Raven and Starfire on the other hand were not happy that Beast Boy was thinking about food at such a critical time. "We aren't going to get anywhere if we can't think straight due to lack of nutrition!" he declared.

"We are in the middle of a search Beast Boy," Raven said condescendingly.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't eat!" he replied.

"He's got a point Raven. It is three and we haven't eaten since six this morning, I think a little food will do everyone some good," Cyborg added, joining the debate.

She looked over at Cyborg and nodded. "Fine, but let's check this last factory before we go, it is right here, so there's no sense in leaving and having to come back immediately afterwards." Everyone nodded in agreement and walked towards the T car, which Cyborg had brought with them on the plane.

The car was completely silent as the Titans drove down the street. Starfire was looking intently out of the window as if Robin was just going to walk by down the road and Raven was looking over her notes, making sure that they hadn't missed anything in the immediate area. The car slowed to a stop in front of a large building and Beast Boy jumped out of the car, eager to get this over with.

"I'll do this one," he shouted behind him as he walked. The other Titans got out of the car and stood guard, watching as he turned into a small bird and flew over the gate. The small bird then glided to the front door and transformed into a cockroach that crawled under the frame. Once inside, Beast Boy changed into his human form again and began walking around.

The factory was very dim, the windows having been covered to prevent light from coming in, and devoid of color. It smelled of dust and oil, a very familiar scent to Beast Boy. It was the same scent that he had encountered when he was in Slade's first base in Jump; the first time Robin had been his apprentice. Beast Boy had certainly never thought that he would be searching for Robin inside of one of these again… He thought it was over the first time, but then again, Slade never was one to give up… Not when he really wanted something.

He walked the perimeter of the building, looking for anything unusual or suspicious. He had wanted this so bad, had spent so much time trying to get everyone to come to New York, but now that he was here, he felt… disappointed. He felt like he was just leading everyone into another heartbreaking trap. Even though the report had obviously been Robin, who was to say that he was still even here, that they would even find him? He had spent so much time thinking of getting here, that he hadn't thought about what he would do once he got here.

The Titans shook their heads as Beast Boy walked to the gate and got in the car. "Is everyone up for hamburgers?" Cyborg asked while buckling his seat belt. Beast Boy jumped in the car and slammed the door shut.

"I don't eat meat, remember?" he said sarcastically.

"Then eat something else," Cyborg shouted back as he pulled out onto the road. Beast Boy made a 'humph' sound as he buckled his seatbelt. Once again, the car was silent as they drove, with Starfire staring out the window. Beast Boy was reading the itinerary over Raven's shoulder, disbelieving at how long the list was. _The more the better, right?_

"Gianno's burgers sound good to you?" Cyborg asked as he parallel parked on the road. They were on the outer edges of the city, though it was still crowded and busy.

"Yup," Raven said distractedly, unable to look away from her folder. Everyone got out of the car and walked into the restaurant, each equally hungry. After ordering, and arguing, they were all settled in a booth. Starfire and Cyborg were talking happily about all the possibilities of the search while Raven and Beast Boy ate in silence.

"When do we meet with the department of the police?" Starfire asked, wanting to talk to the men who had seen Robin. Cyborg was about to answer as his communicator went off, followed by everyone else's communicators. Everyone stopped eating and watched him as he read something on the screen. "Looks like there is a robbery in progress," he said resolutely, a slight nervousness in his tone. _Could this be Robin?_

"Where?" Starfire asked elatedly. She had never been so happy to hear of a reported robbery in her life.

"Get in the car, I'll take us there," he replied, standing up and throwing some money on the table for the server. All of the Titans obeyed and ran to the car, preparing for the best, and the worst.

"How did you know so quickly?" Raven asked as they all got into the car.

"I set up our communicators to receive alerts from the police scanners. We only get the important stuff," he explained as he drove off. The car was tense as he drove, each member of the team wondering with bated breath if this was it. He weaved in and out of traffic, receiving many honks and obscene gestures as he did so. It was only when he got into the inner city that he could no longer get around all the cars.

None of the Titans wanted to sit uselessly in traffic, so they all got out of the car and continued on foot. Beast Boy was running in the form of a cheetah while Raven flew above his head. Cyborg and Starfire were a short while behind, neither being able to fly or run at super speed.

Raven began to hear sirens and looked down at the green cheetah below, knowing that he could hear it too. Flashing lights shone ahead and both Titan's hearts skipped a beat as they sped towards the scene. Several police cars were parked in front of an engineering company while their owners walked around the building. Raven landed behind the police tape and approached one of the officers while Beast Boy was transforming back into human form.

"Excuse me ma'am, but this is a closed crime scene," the police officer stated officially, pushing her back towards the tape.

"And I'm here to help. Where is the thief?" she asked, pushing him off of her.

"I'm going to have to ask you to leave," he continued, grabbing her arms and forcing her back.

"Hey, get off of her!" Beast Boy shouted as he ran towards the two. They weren't used to this type of treatment from officers. The police in Jump knew them very well and were always eager to assist.

Starfire and Cyborg joined the scene, both short of breath. "This is a closed crime scene!" the officer shouted, obviously annoyed with all of the intruders.

"Just tell me what happened to the robber!" Beast Boy demanded.

"This is a closed-"

Starfire ran towards the man and lifted him off his feet by the shoulders, her eyes glowing green. "Tell me where he is!" she shouted dangerously. The man looked down at the three around her, not feeling good about the situation.

"He got away…" he whispered shakily. Several other cops had taken notice of the situation and started to approach the four.

"Where?! Where did he go?!" she shouted, shaking him.

"Star…" Cyborg said, looking at all the cops advancing towards them with guns in their hands.

"I-I don't know..."

She growled in frustration and Cyborg grabbed her shoulder. "Star, let go of him," he commanded. Raven was off to the side, explaining the situation to several of the officers. "Star," he repeated softly. She finally let go of the man and looked down shamefully.

"I am the sorry…." she apologized. The man took several steps backwards before running off, obviously scared by the odd group of teens. Cyborg could tell that he hadn't been an officer for long, especially with his young face.

"Okay guys, they said he is heading westbound. There was a cop tailing him, but they lost him around a quarter of a mile from here due to heavy traffic," Raven explained. Beast Boy immediately transformed into an eagle and flew up into the air, soaring west. "They said he was wearing a mask," she added as she floated up into the air, promptly following Beast Boy.

Cyborg and Starfire once again began running in the same general direction, taking alleyways and side streets for shortcuts. They could see their two teammates up ahead, but were still a short ways behind. _Perhaps it would be a good idea to invest in a motorcycle…_

Beast Boy was scanning the streets for any sudden movement while Raven was just searching for anyone in a mask. Both were becoming discouraged as the minutes passed by with no masked man in sight. He could have run into a building to hide, changed into civilian clothes, or even jumped into a getaway car in traffic… Raven stopped and floated in mid-air, looking back to see if the other two were still on her tail.

A green bird swooped past her, brushing her hair back in the breeze it created, and landed on the ground. Beast Boy was now walking down the street to meet the other two Titans.

"Anything?" Cyborg huffed as he came to a stop.

"No," Beast Boy responded in a disappointed tone. Starfire's face fell and Beast Boy began to shift his weight. "So… what now?" he asked, looking at Cyborg. Were they just going to go back to warehouse searching or were they going to question the police at the crime scene?

"Hey, you! Stop!" Raven shouted. All of the Titans turned to look at her, but only got a glimpse of her cloak as she flew around a corner. They immediately ran after her, each feeling nervous and excited at the same time.

Upon rounding the corner, they could see a small figure running down the street with Raven flying above it. Beast Boy changed into a cheetah once again so that he could gain on the perp, leaving the other two behind.

"Ugh, I hate not having the car!" Cyborg panted, running as fast as his legs would allow. Up ahead, Beast Boy was on the tail of the man who had swiftly turned a corner. With a curse, the masked man skidded to a stop, having run into a dead end. Beast Boy stopped behind him and transformed back into a human while Raven landed next to him.

"Stop right there!" Beast Boy shouted, causing Raven to glance at him from the corner of her eyes. _Did he really just say that?_ Starfire and Cyborg came around the corner and nearly slammed into their two teammates, having barely missed them by a foot. They both looked at the back of the man standing ahead of them. Starfire's heart leapt as she saw his black bodysuit, but before she could shout 'Robin', he spoke.

"So, the Titans are in New York," he said with a muffled voice as he turned around. "How… _peculiar._" Every single Titan's face fell as they looked at him.

"Red X," Raven addressed seriously.

"That's my name," he chuckled. Starfire's eyes narrowed as she remembered their last meeting with him.

"What are you doing in New York?" Raven asked, suspicious of his convenient appearance.

"What, I'm not allowed to make an honest living in the big apple?" he joked before looking down at the stolen item in his hand. "Well, maybe not so honest…"

"Are you following us?" Beast Boy interjected, eliciting a laugh out of him.

"I have been living here for a year now, if anything, you are following me!" Now that Raven thought about it, they hadn't received any calls about Red X in a while now, though they hadn't checked the alerts in a while anyways. "I assume you are here for Robin?" he guessed, getting a look of shock from the four in front of him.

"What-How? How did you?" Beast Boy started, obviously confused.

"You've seen him?" Raven asked, receiving a thankful glance from Beast Boy for finishing his question.

"Yeah, I saw him," he replied, making Starfire jump in elation. Cyborg took a step forward and Beast Boy stood still, his face full of surprise. Raven seemed to be the only one in control of herself at the moment. "You aren't going to find what you are looking for," he added, his tone serious for the first time since he started speaking.

"What do you mean?" Cyborg asked cautiously.

"He got away?!" Beast Boy shouted, completely furious. He knew this would happen!

"No, he's still here…." Red X replied. Starfire sighed in relief, her shoulders un-tensing.

"Then what do you mean?" Cyborg asked again, not liking where this was going.

"You can look for him, you may even find him, but I'm just warning you now, you may not like what you find." Everyone had a look of confusion on their faces except for Raven.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Beast Boy questioned. Red X just stood there, looking at them all from behind his mask, and Cyborg took another step forward.

"Answer the question," he commanded, making Red X smirk.

"Look, you are never going to find the Robin that you are looking for… I suggest you go back to Jump before you get hurt," he advised, helping them even though he knew they wouldn't listen to him. They at least deserved a warning.

"What? And leave Robin?! Yeah, right!" Beast Boy shouted, obviously angry that Red X was stringing them along and not giving them anything helpful.

"Robin would never hurt us," Starfire said softly, but resolutely. He would never do anything to hurt them, ever… The last time he was Slade's apprentice, it was the one thing that Slade couldn't make him do, and it would be the same this time. They were his friends, he would never harm them.

"That's not what I meant," he replied, satisfied by the response it got from the girl; she looked completely lost.

"Look, if you aren't going to help us locate Robin, then we can just arrest you now," Raven threatened.

"Ooh, feisty. I _like_ it," he purred seductively. Raven rolled her eyes, not in the mood to deal with flirty criminals at the moment.

"Just tell us where he is!" Cyborg demanded while Starfire stood there contemplating what he could have possibly meant by Robin hurting them.

"If I knew where he was, don't you think I would have told you by now?" he sneered.

"No," Raven replied. "You are a criminal, and you would probably want something in return for the information."

"Ooh, hadn't thought about that… Though as enticing as that sounds, I really don't have anything to exchange, but I would definitely accept little gift if you know what I mean," he said, once again suggestively. Raven lifted her hand towards him, threatening him with her magic. He sucked in a breath and pretended to be scared.

"If you don't know where he is, then just tell us about when you saw him," Cyborg sighed, becoming tired of his little game. They were wasting time that they could be spending looking for Robin.

"Well, I can exchange _that _knowledge for something. What do you have to offer?"

"How about you tell us where you saw him, and I won't knock your teeth out before arresting you," Raven growled.

"Wow, that really is tempting, but I think I'll just go," he said as he turned his back, looking at the brick wall behind him.

"Take one step and I will blast you," Cyborg threatened, holding his cannon up towards the criminal.

"I was wondering when you were going to start holding me captive," he chucked, turning back around with raised hands.

"Stop messing with us and just tell us about Robin!" Beast Boy commanded weakly.

"Like I said, I won't talk until I get something in return. You all can thank the lovely Raven for suggesting that." Cyborg and Beast Boy looked at Raven while Red X smiled at them all. "So, if you've got nothing to off-"

"If you tell us about Robin, I will kiss you." The three Titans turned around to look at Starfire, completely astonished that she had just said that. She distinctly remembered Red X flirting with her before and knew that he would gladly accept the offer.

"Really?" he asked, shocked. She nodded and the other Titans looked back at him in amazement as he took a deep breath, preparing to start. "Okay, well… I was… relieving this place of their merchandise… when I happened to come across him. At first I thought he was going to arrest me, but then he just looked at me," he recounted, remembering that odd blank un-Robin like face. "Then I remembered that he had went missing a while back," Starfire winced at the statement, "and realized that he was no longer a hero."

"Where was this?" Raven asked.

"Down near thirty fourth, you can look it up; it will be in the police database. So anyways, he started walking away. I thought that that was a little odd, you know, considering our _history_, so I followed him. He told me that he wasn't a hero anymore and that I should just leave him alone. He practically stabbed me when I tried to continue talking to him… Before I knew it, he was gone. Sleuthy fellow, isn't he?" he joked, even though he wasn't entirely comfortable with the new Robin. He didn't want to admit it, but he kind of scared him.

"That's it?" Raven said, unimpressed.

"What? Did you want a novel?"

She sighed and Beast Boy shot him a look of annoyance. "When did this happen?" she asked.

He thought back, trying to remember exactly how long ago this was. "I dunno, two… three weeks ago…" Raven couldn't help but of think of how long ago that was. Robin could be gone by now…

"What makes you think he's still here?" Cyborg questioned, having the same thought process as Raven.

"This kiss better be pretty damn magical for all the questions I am answering!" he declared. Raven gave him a threatening look, basically telling him to answer the question, _or else_. "Ugh… Because, he and Slade have been taking over the entire underground of the city. And considering that the city's crime boss is still alive, they can't have left yet…" he groaned.

"They are taking over the organized crime in the city? How do you know this?" Raven asked.

"Come on!" he whined. Starfire raised her glowing hand at him and he raised his one free hand in peace. "Because I live here! Being a…_specialist_…with this sort of thing, I know what goes on with the crime. The flow of drugs on the street has completely stopped and many well-known mafia workers have gone missing recently."

"And how do you know it is Robin and Slade?" Cyborg asked.

"Are you serious? How thick are you?" he patronized. Did he really need to explain how he knew? It was obvious. Robin shows up in town and all of a sudden the entire crime empire is falling apart! Not exactly a coincidence…

"Is there anything else of use that you know?" Raven asked, wanting this interview to be over.

"Other than run like hell? No." Starfire once again looked confused at his remark, not understanding why he kept warning them.

"Can I get my reward now?" he asked, winking at the confused Tameranian before him. She walked up to him and stopped a few inches away from his face, looking up at him innocently. He lifted his mask so that it sat just above his lips and prepared for a kiss. The three Titans behind were watching the scene with open mouths, disbelieving of what they were witnessing. Starfire leaned in, closing her eyes, and before Red X knew it, he was pinned to the ground face down.

"I had a feeling…" he grunted as she held him in a death grip. She motioned the others over while Raven called the police to come and pick him up. "You know? It's not nice using people like that," he said sarcastically. She tightened her grip on his wrists, causing him to grunt. "Man, you like it rough," he murmured into the ground.

"The police are on their way…" Raven said monotonously as they all watched Red X lie helplessly on the ground.

"Ha, honestly Star, I thought you were really going to do it," Beast Boy laughed.

"No, I would never!" she replied in her sweet tone.

"I'm still here you know," Red X commented, grimacing from the pain in his wrists. It only took several minutes for the police to arrive and handcuff the thief. As he was sitting in the car, about to be taken to jail, Starfire walked up to his window.

"Thank you for giving us the help," she said kindly.

"Sure, why not…. Robin wasn't _too_ bad… I kind of liked him sometimes," he chuckled. It was true, he had always respected Robin. The kid was intelligent and determined, plus he provided him with such a wonderful suit… It was a shame what he had become; it had honestly saddened him to see Robin like that.

Starfire nodded at him and walked away as the car pulled out into the street. The four Titans now stood facing each other, each extremely pleased with what just happened.

"So, Robin and Slade are taking over the city's underground crime scene… Which means we need to find out who the boss is; we find the crime boss, we find Robin," Cyborg stated. Everyone nodded in agreement. "I think we should go to the police station next and pull up all the files on robberies and missing person reports from the past month. Hopefully they will have some insight as to who the members of the mafia are that are still alive."

Everyone agreed and started walking back to the car, which was sitting abandoned on the side of the road a few miles away.

...

A few hours away from the city where the Titans currently were, was Robin, sitting in the living room of Lila and Allen's house.

"You fixed the door!" Lila shouted happily from the entryway, clearly excited that they weren't going to be having a draft for the next few days.

"Actually, Slade fixed it," he called back to her.

"Oh, well, at least we won't have any raccoons running through the house now," she joked. She was lucky to have someone to fix the door so quickly; she would have never been able to do it on her own. "Thank-" she started before cutting off. "Where is Slade?" She had come back into the room, only to notice that the man was absent.

"I think he went to the restroom," Allen replied as footsteps sounded in the hallway. Slade came around the corner and eyed Robin intently.

"Robin, I need to speak with you," he grunted. Lila and Allen both looked at the boy as he stood up and walked to meet his 'uncle'.

"Really obedient kid," Allen commented after the two were out of sight. Robin walked through the doorway of the study and turned around to face his master.

"We need to leave," Slade said as he closed the door and rounded on Robin. "We have been here too long now and you are almost fully healed." Robin looked blankly back at him.

"Is there something that we need to do?" Robin asked, not remembering anything on the agenda for today.

"While you were having your little coma, I was busy cleaning up the mess we made." Robin didn't seem to be offended that Slade was blaming him for getting shot, he pretty much expected it. "It won't be long before Victor notices that all of his men are missing, we need to move fast. Not to mention the other problem we need to take care of… and _soon_," he explained.

"When do we leave?" Robin asked monotonously.

"Now," Slade replied before walking over to the wall and throwing a bag at Robin. "Change," he commanded.

…

"Here we are," Cyborg stated as the four Titans stopped on the steps of the local police department. "Okay, so to make things easier, I am going to split us up and give us all different tasks. This way we finish quicker. We can discuss everything we learn later tonight." The other Titans agreed and waited for further instruction.

"Beast Boy, I want you to talk to the police who were on duty the night that Neuro Link Inc. was robbed. Get the full description of the attacker: clothing, speech, mannerisms, etc." Beast Boy nodded and Starfire huffed, having wanted to be the person to talk to the police that had met Robin.

Cyborg turned to Raven, "Raven, I want you to look through the database and find any and all missing person reports from the last month, as well as robberies." He finally turned to Starfire, "And Starfire, you and I are going to talk to the investigative team that works on organized crime," he explained.

All of the Titans nodded and set off to their various tasks, eager to find anything that could help. Raven immediately walked to the filing room, after getting permission to do so, and started searching through this month's records on the computer. Cyborg and Starfire spent a half hour waiting for someone to be available before getting to speak about the city's crime and Beast Boy was sent to a completely separate building to meet with one of the witnesses on the night of the theft.

"Excuse me, are you Clark?" he asked the man sitting at the desk in front of him.

"Are you Beast Boy?" he asked, pronouncing it oddly since he had never heard of such an unusual name before.

"Er, yeah…"  
"Then yes, I am Clark." The man stood up to shake Beast Boy's hand and quite honestly ended up terrifying him. He was around six and a half feet tall, extremely built, and extremely threatening looking. If he had been a criminal, Beast Boy would have considered running the other way. "They said you would be coming…" he commented as he sat back down.

"Yeah, well… I just had some questions for you…" Beast Boy said nervously, not used to doing interrogations on his own.

"Am I under arrest?" the man asked seriously, leaning forward on his desk.

"Uh-Um… Uh…"

"I'm just kidding! Jeez kid, relax! Have a seat," he said, gesturing to the chairs in front of his desk. "So, what was it you wanted to ask me?"

"I was told that you were one of the officers on the scene of the bio-tech company attack," he replied as he sat down in the chair. "I was wondering if you could tell me a bit about the attacker." Beast Boy was fiddling with his thumbs on the desk, which Clark had taken notice of.

"Why is it that you want to know? The person that called me never said anything about that…" He wasn't about ready to give case details to someone who wasn't credible, especially someone green.

"You see, me and my friends, my teammates, have flown all the way out here from California to try and find our friend."

"And what does that have to do with this case?" he asked, staring at the boy's twitching fingers.

"We think that… it _may_ be him…" he mumbled, emphasizing the word 'may'. Clark sat back in his chair with his arms resting behind his head.

"So, you are telling me that you think your friend is our perp? And you want us to help you find him so that, what, you can take him home or something?" he asked incredulously.

"Erm… Yes…"

"Exactly who did you say you were again?" he asked, leaning in to examine the boy's face.

"Um, Beast Boy, sir. I am a member of the Teen Titans," he explained nervously.

"The Teen Titans? The vigilante group from California? I've heard of you guys… And who exactly is it that you are looking for?"

"Our leader, Robin…" he replied, looking down at the desk as if it was the most interesting thing in the world.

"Robin? As in Batman's Robin?" Clark asked, receiving a nod from the boy. Of course Clark knew who Robin was; anyone in the vicinity of Gotham knew who he was.

"He hasn't been with Batman for a long time though…."

"And he is missing?" This really was news for the man as he hadn't heard anything about it recently.

"Yes, for almost two years now…"

_Two years?! _"Wait, isn't he a hero?" he asked, clearly confused as things were not adding up.

"It's a long story, but I think that he might have been the one to rob that company. If you could just describe the dude so that I can tell if it is him or not." Clark eyed Beast Boy, still not understanding how it seemed that he thought his hero leader was a robber.

"Fine, but after I tell you, please explain to me how it is you think your leader is the culprit." Beast Boy nodded in agreement and the man began. "I received the call while on patrol and showed up at the building relatively later than everyone else. By the time I got there, he was already on the run and was loose in the building. I was in the stairwell when I saw him jumping from level to level, he was extremely agile." Beast Boy pulled out a small note pad and began scribbling as fast as he could on his paper.

"I managed to catch up with him near the bottom and had him cornered. He stood there, completely at ease, as fifteen guards surrounded him. I don't know what it was, but something about him gave all the other officers the creeps… Something was off with him…" Beast Boy furrowed his brow as he wrote that, wondering what it could mean.

"Anyways, I assume you want the standard description... He was on the shorter side, probably around five foot six or seven and was very lean. I'd say about one hundred and ten or twenty pounds, but pure muscle. He was wearing a full body suit, like a unitard or something, that was solid black. There was a large orange S across the torso, from the right shoulder down to the left thigh. He was also wearing a black and white mask that edged along his jawline towards the bottom… Um, oh and he had short black hair." Clark watched as Beast Boy wrote all of that down in a hurry, waiting until he finished to continue.

"I was about to arrest him when he pulled out what I thought was a grenade and threw it at me. Next thing I knew, I was waking up on the floor, handcuffed to the hand rail with my own damn cuffs. The kid had gotten away," he finished, remembering the embarrassment of being found like that.

"And how old do you think he was?"

"Young. Probably nineteen or twenty." Beast Boy nodded and wrote that down.

"And erm… what was that Cyborg wanted me to ask about?" he murmured to himself, trying to think back. "Oh, yeah, mannerisms!" he shouted, getting several looks from the other officers in the room.

"Mannerisms?" Clark repeated.

"Yeah, like, you know, mannerisms… Did he have any?" Beast Boy asked lamely. Perhaps he wasn't cut out for a career as a detective after all…

"I-I'm not quite sure what you mean, but I can tell you about what I observed behavior-wise." Beast Boy lifted up his notepad, waiting for him to start talking. "Like I said before, he was very confident. He looked like he was strolling in a park, rather than in front of a bunch of cops with guns… He had a very good poker face, extremely un-telling, best I've ever seen. He also had an odd smirk, very unnatural… Otherwise, there wasn't much else… He stood very still…" he said, trying to think back to find anything else of use. "That's about it…"

Beast Boy finished writing and smiled at the man, grateful for his help. "So, do you think it's him?" Clark asked.

"I'm not quite certain…" Beast Boy lied. He knew that this was Robin, despite the weird description. With Red X's testimony and the 'S' suit, it had to be Robin. He just didn't want the police to know, because then they would be on him. Although having them as an aid in the search may sound good from the outside, it would only be harmful in the end. When they did manage to save Robin, the police would want him, not only for theft, but also for destruction of property. It would just be best if they kept that to themselves, that way they could take Robin home without a fuss.

"Thank you for all of your help!" Beast Boy said as he stood up, preparing to leave.

"You didn't tell me about what happened to your friend," Clark replied, also standing up.

"You know, I don't really think it was him, I just thought that maybe it was because it fit his age range… I guess I was wrong, but thanks anyways!" he shouted back as he walked swiftly to the door. If he told the man that Robin was kidnapped by a deranged criminal and forced into submission, then he would definitely put them on his tail. The Titans didn't need any legal complications any time soon.

Beast Boy shut the door behind him and started running down the street to the main building where his friends were, looking back to see if the man was following him.

…

Robin was now changing back into his uniform, feeling rather uncomfortable after having worn loose clothes for a few days. Slade was busy shoving stuff into a bag while Robin folded the clothes and put them neatly on the bed for Lila. He also stripped the sheets and folded them for her, so that she could clean them easily later on.

Out in the living room, Lila and Allen were sitting on the couch and talking. "It is nice having company," she commented.

"You know? It actually is, I could get used to having them around," Allen replied. He had rather enjoyed talking to Slade earlier today. Slade was the type of guy that he could have a couple beers with.

"Yeah, and I was think-" she started before cutting off at the sound of footsteps coming down the hall. Slade walked into the living room, his duffle bag in hand, with Robin tailing along behind him robotically. "You…You- You're leaving?" she asked in a sad tone, taking notice of the bag in his hand. And she was just beginning to form a connection with Robin…

"We have work to do, we've been gone too long now," Slade replied.

"Oh…" she said gloomily. She had really enjoyed having a young boy in the house again. Honestly, Robin reminded her of her son Kevin. They were both very rigid and quiet, and neither of them seemed to like opening up to anyone. Not to mention that Robin looked like a shorter version of Kevin with his black hair and blue eyes. Although she didn't know it, the whole reason that she so badly wanted to connect with Robin was because she was substituting him for her absent son.

"You sure you don't want to stay for dinner?" Allen asked, standing up.

"No, we really need to get going. I would like to be home by nighttime." Lila stood silently next to her husband who looked slightly sullen himself. He had rather enjoyed having a man to talk to about man stuff. Now he would have to go back to silence with his wife.

"Okay, well do you need anything for the road?" Lila asked, looking around for something to offer them.

"No, we are fine, everything you have done is enough," Slade replied, beckoning for Robin to follow him as he walked towards the entryway. Lila and Allen followed them and they all stood in front of the door, looking at each other.

"Hey, you have a good one," Allen said, trying not to sound sad about it as he shook Slade's hand.

"You too," Slade replied, nodding at the man before him. Lila looked at Robin, her eyes soft. She pulled him into a hug which he didn't really know how to return. He just stood there, oddly patting her back.

"You are a wonderful kid, Robin. I really hope that you can visit us sometime in the future, we would love to have you both," she said, pulling him out of the hug. Robin nodded and she kept her hands on his upper arms. "Have a great life, son," she choked out.

Allen and Slade were both watching the scene awkwardly, neither feeling particularly comfortable about it. Robin nodded his head and put his hand on hers before she let go of him.

"Really though, anytime that you are near, feel free to stop by!" Allen said, shaking Robin's and Slade's hands one more time. "And good luck with the business!" he smiled.

"We will and thank you," Slade replied. If it hadn't been for these two people, Robin would probably be dead, and for that, he was eternally grateful. Though he could never express his gratitude to them; he wasn't a sentimental being.

Allen opened the door and Slade stepped outside after Robin. He dug into his bag and pulled out two masks, handing one to his apprentice. The couple watched from the door as Slade snapped his in place and Robin worked on the adhesive peel.

"And thank you for helping me save Robin," he said, causing Robin to stop working on his mask and look up. Lila and Allen both smiled at the two, happy to have helped.

"We'd do it again," Lila stated resolutely.

"Good," he replied tonelessly. Before either of them could process what he had just said, his arm shot up and two _bangs _sounded. Robin watched as both of them fell to the floor with heavy thuds. The couple that had loved him and taken care of him, now lying on the ground in a pool of their own blood_. _He looked down at Lila, his blue eyes returning to their original state of complete emptiness, as a familiar numbness crept upon him.

* * *

Yeah, so the celebration is over... R.I.P Allen and Lila. I must admit, it was very hard for me to kill them. I was very fond of them... Anyways, please review, because I love reading about what you think!


	16. Outsourced

-The Disclaimer is in Chapter One-

Wow! I got so many reviews on the last chapter! Plus, I got the most visitors that I have ever gotten on an update ever... I am so happy! And I would have had this chapter ready earlier, but I have had some serious editor's block... It's been sitting there, waiting to be edited, but I couldn't seem to be able to do it for some reason... I'm back on track now, so here it is!

* * *

-New York-

"Friends?" Everyone at the table looked up at Starfire upon hearing her voice.

"Yeah Star?" Cyborg replied, putting his fork down on his plate. They were all eating at a small dinner table inside the living quarters of their plane. Beast Boy was still eating a tofu chicken thigh ravenously, barely looking up at his teammates.

"I was wondering… What is it that the Red X meant by his 'warnings'?" she asked, still confused from what Red X had said earlier. She really wanted one of the others to clear it up for her so that she could sleep tonight.

"Um…" Cyborg mumbled, trying to think of what he could say that wouldn't worry her. She looked at him expectantly, waiting for an answer with an eager expression on her face.

"I don't think he meant anything by it… He was just trying to confuse us so that he could get away," Raven explained, sounding confident in her answer.

"But, he said to leave before we become injured. What did he mean?" She sounded genuinely worried and Beast Boy looked up at her, his mouth full of food.

"You mean when he said 'go back to Jump before you get hurt'?" he asked in a garbled mumble, still chewing his tofu. Starfire nodded and Raven gave Beast Boy a disgusted look, clearly displeased with his table manners.

"It's nothing Star, like Raven said, he was just trying to psych us out…" Cyborg said.

"Yeah! It's Red X after all; do you honestly even care what he has to say?" Beast Boy pointed out after swallowing.

"So you do not think that Robin will harm us?" she asked doubtingly.

"What? No! Of course not! He would never hurt us!" Beast Boy declared confidently. There was no way that Robin would ever really hurt them. He might act in front Slade, but he would never truly go after them!

Starfire nodded in acknowledgment, feeling a lot better now, and finished off the rest of her food. After a few more minutes of the Titans eating the remainder of their dinner, they sat back contentedly in their chairs.

"Okay, how about we talk about our research from earlier today?" Cyborg declared as he sat back in his chair and patted his stomach.

"Sounds good man," Beast Boy replied, shifting in his seat with a groan. Starfire swooped all of the dishes into her arms and walked to the plane's small kitchen. A giant clash sounded from the dishes being dropped into the sink and Cyborg stood up to start laying a map and a pile of documents on the table where the food had just been.

"Sorry guys, but everything we got is on paper," Cyborg stated, looking down at the massive pile of files. They normally did this kind of thing electronically, but the police station had given them written documents instead.

"Let's just get started," Raven said monotonously as Starfire took her spot back at the table.

"Okay, so BB, you go first. What did you learn about the crime scene?" Cyborg asked. Beast Boy promptly pulled out his notes, ripping one of the papers as he did so, and started to flip through them.

"Well, I met with this dude, Clark Evans… He pretty much repeated what the report said… It's obviously Robin; short, black hair, Slade uniform… The only thing that the guy said that wasn't in the report was that he freaked the guards out." Beast Boy's eyes squinted as he continued to attempt to read his own writing.

"What do you mean he 'freaked the guards out'?" Raven asked.

"The guy said he was too calm and that… his smirk was odd," he read, quoting the man. Starfire's eyebrows furrowed in confusion and Cyborg just made a sound of acknowledgment. What was he supposed to do with that?

"Anything else?" she asked. Beast Boy shook his head and looked down shamefully. He really hadn't gotten anything useful, except for the fact that it was definitely Robin.

"Uh, okay then. How about you, Raven?" Cyborg said, turning to his other teammate.

"I managed to find the robbery that Red X was talking about, but it didn't say anything important. It is right there if you want to read it though," she said, pointing towards a small file. "I did however manage to find quite a few missing person reports, perhaps too many… So, I took those and condensed them down based on criminal records, which left me with that pile there." Everyone looked over to the tall pile that she was pointing at, none of them particularly excited at the prospect of looking through them in the near future. "I figure we can cross check those with the names of known mobsters to see who is missing that is of interest," she finished. Beast Boy looked impressed, she had done a lot with her task. Now he felt even more embarrassed about the results of his job.

"That's great!" Cyborg expressed. "We actually got a list right here." He pulled out a small notepad with several pages of names on it. "It's kinda long, I know, but it is of anyone even known to associate with the mafia. It goes from top to bottom, most important to least important." Everyone except Starfire looked at the page with interest.

"Yes, and we found the boss of the crime!" she exclaimed, proud of their work. This was one large step closer to Robin.

"Yeah, Victor Wyatte," Cyborg added. "Real nasty dude; known to have killed at least a dozen people. The only reason he isn't in prison right now is because he is buddies with some of the cops. He practically owns them… Lucky for us, the man we were talking to wasn't too afraid to tell us who he was." Cyborg pulled out a large file, "This is everything they have on him: name, address, buildings owned, etc. With this, we can find him! And once we find him, all we have to do is wait until Robin and Slade show up!" Starfire smiled excitedly, causing Beast Boy to smile in return. He may have had his doubts earlier today, but now, he was certain. They were finally going to save Robin!

"And the names near the top?" Raven asked.

"His workers," Cyborg explained. "From here," he pointed, sliding his finger down the list, "to here, is his main group. This one here, Joseph Nyenne, is his right hand man. I would like to see if he is missing or if they are still together right now. If Joseph is still here, then we most likely have some time."

Raven pulled some of the missing person files over and grabbed the list. "I say we start checking through these so that we know how long we have until Slade strikes. After that, we should get some rest so that we can start tailing Victor tomorrow morning." Everyone nodded in conjecture and grabbed a small pile of the files, going through each one to see if anyone matched the list.

…

A short while away, in a small inner city apartment, sat a woman. She was lying on the couch, watching TV with a bag of potato chips in her hands. The large flat screen displayed the local news, showing footage from a robbery earlier that day.

"_Just as the police were losing hope of catching the culprit, a superhero group from Jump City, California appeared. Under the name 'Teen Titans', they managed to track and arrest the criminal, who was later identified as a commonly known thief named 'Red X', also from Jump City. It is unclear as to why the Titans are in New York, but one thing is certain, we are really glad they were here to save the day!" _the woman on the screen said enthusiastically, causing the woman on the couch to snort.

"Ha! Yeah, real fuckin' heroic!" she chuckled, choking on a chip. "Catching that pathetic thief… Hey! What? Where are-" she mumbled as she rummaged through the bag. There was nothing but crumbs left, surprising her a great deal considering that she had just opened the bag. "I should really lay off the chips…"

She stood up and crumbled the bag into a small ball, throwing it into a nearby trashcan before walking into the bathroom. The apartment became silent except for the sounds of the shower running and the TV playing softly.

"_Thanks Tim, and now, more on the sudden appearance of the hero group in our own backyard. Let's talk some more about the four members of the 'Teen Titans'! First on the list is Beast Boy: the green teen that can change into any animal he chooses!" _A picture of Beast Boy flashed onto the screen, along with a short paragraph describing his powers. "_Raven: the dark sorceress that can conjure magic!"_ Beast Boy was now replaced with a picture of Raven, her face hidden by her cloak. "_Cyborg: the half-man, half-machine, that can blast you away with his sonic cannon! And last, but not least, Starfire: the beautiful alien with deadly green bolts of energy!" _A picture of her replaced Cyborg on the screen before switching back to the news reporter.

"_This is some exciting stuff! Although we aren't unfamiliar with the concept of superheroes, with Batman in Gotham and all, it is still wonderful to receive a visit from such inspirational individuals! What do you think Tim?" _The camera switched over from the overly excited woman to an equally fake man.

"_It is indeed Sherry! But one thing I have to wonder, what ever happened to their leader? The young boy wonder, Robin? It seems that he just up and disappeared."_

"_I don't know Tim, perhaps he decided to exchange his mask and cape for a suit and tie. It wouldn't be the first time a hero decided to live a normal life, maybe he was just tired of being so heroic all the time," _she said smiling, receiving a nauseating laugh from her co-reporter.

"_Well, wherever he is, we wish him good luck! Next, how does one become a superhero? Find out after-" _The program stopped suddenly, seemingly stuck on pause.

The woman walked out of the bathroom, squeezing her hair in a towel as she approached the kitchen. She pulled out a carton of milk from her fridge and poured it into a glass before walking into the living room. "Oh, come on! Of all the-" she grunted, picking of the remote from the couch to un-pause the TV. On the screen was a picture of the former leader of the Teen Titans, young and happy. _Odd that it stopped there…._

She turned off the TV, not having been able to get it to continue, and strolled back into the bathroom to throw the towel on the floor. "Really have nothing better to talk about on the damn news?" she mumbled as she shuffled down the hallway. She stopped in her tracks, looking into the living room where the TV was back on, still stuck on the picture of Robin.

She pulled a painting off the wall and typed in the combination code to the safe. Inside were large stacks of money and a shiny, silver hand gun. She took the gun, leaving the safe open, and walked into the living room, holding it at chest level. On the counter was her glass of milk, now empty. "Shit," she whispered, turning abruptly once she rounded a corner.

"So, the Titans are in town," a deep voice said from the corner of the room. She turned around to find the source and narrowed her eyes.

"What are you doing here?" she asked quietly, her voice unwavering.

"Sorry I'm so late, but there was an unexpected…_problem…_"the voice drawled. The woman stood tall and held her ground, keeping the gun aimed at the figure across from her.

"I don't seem to recall inviting you over, Slade," she retorted.

"Perhaps not… Are you going to hold that gun the entire time? Your arm must be getting_ very _tired." She looked at his mask, debating her next move.

"My arm is fine. What are you doing here?" Of course, she already knew the answer to that.

"As you know, I have a reputation for being _thorough…_ I don't leave loose ends," he explained, taking a step forward. She was now thanking the heavens that she put on a uniform after taking her shower; otherwise she would have had to fight him in a towel.

"So, what? I'm a loose end now?" she asked, faking sounding hurt about it. Slade smirked under his mask and took another step towards her. "You see me as a threat!" she snickered disbelievingly, laughing at the prospect.

"Not so much of a threat as an annoyance." She smirked at him and moved into the kitchen, letting the small pony wall separate them.

"So, you kill my brother, then you come to kill me? What? Did you think I was going to come after you? I'm not an idiot, Slade." It was true, she had decided against seeking revenge a week ago out of self-preservation.

"Loose ends," he repeated matter-of-factly, taking another step towards her. "You do know that the entire mafia has a hit on you now," he said casually, talking to her as if he was there for a friendly visit. "They seem to think that it is you that is taking out their drug empire." He picked up a small snow globe from the counter and examined it, smiling slightly at how oddly things worked out for him.

"Ironic, they put a hit out on me for something you did, so you come here and complete it for them?!" she laughed.

"I never said life was fair," he replied, putting the globe back onto the counter. "Nor death." An evil glint shone in his eye and she lowered her gun.

"Where is Robin? He finally run away?" she retorted, noticing that he was alone. Slade didn't answer, but merely stood watching her loosen the grip on her gun. "I never understood why you took that poor boy. He wasn't cut out for this business…"

"On the contrary, he is doing quite well. He was born for this," Slade responded. "I will admit, it took some _persuading…" _As he was talking, she slipped her hand under the counter. Within a moment, several knives flew straight towards Slade's face, but he blocked them all with his arm guard with ease. He had barely even moved and stood nonchalantly, looking at her with curiosity.

"Ah, Yvette… Do you honestly think that you can catch me off guard? And after our history, I would think you would have known better," he condescended.

"Had to at least try." She lifted her gun back up and Slade pulled the knives out of his uniform, placing them neatly on the counter.

"As nice as it has been catching up with you, I do believe that I should get moving. Lot's to do and now that the Titans are in town, the timeline has just been shortened," he explained as he pulled out a gun. Yvette looked at the large handgun, knowing that it was superior to the backup that she was carrying. If only she could get to the office, then she could get the real weapons.

As he cocked the gun, she picked up the globe and threw it at him, running towards the hall immediately afterwards. He dodged it, causing it to hit the wall behind him and shatter loudly. He lifted the gun up and aimed, but she rounded the corner, making his weapon useless. With a grunt, he shoved it back into its holster and pulled out his bo-staff.

At least with the bo-staff, he wouldn't be making a bunch of noise. They didn't need nosy neighbors calling the cops on them, not that they would anyways since they were so scared of her. He ran down the hall and slammed through the office door, only to be met by a sight that made him smirk. There she was, standing in the middle of the room, covered in weapons. The most notable was the large sword in her hand, which she held lazily so that it dragged on the ground.

"I'm not going down without a fight, Slade."

"I would expect nothing less," he replied, running towards her with his staff.

The next few minutes were the beginning of an all-out war; the battle between the two most experienced and well trained assassins out there. With every swipe, punch, and kick, came an equally brilliant counter attack. It was like an elegant dance, but with weapons and blood.

Yvette had managed to land several hits, which had actually somewhat hindered Slade. He of course managed to reciprocate with an equal amount of hits, as he knew her fighting style quite well. The fact that they both could predict each other to a certain amount had greatly increased the amount of time that they fought.

Weapons were lying everywhere on the floor. Everything from bombs, to knives, to guns, to high powered tasers. Her office was quite literally a massive storage room; she liked to get creative with her kills, therefore she had a great stock of weapons. At one point, Slade had even found an axe to throw at her, which was now stuck to the back wall.

Neither seemed to be out of breath as time dragged on. Light was now streaming into the room from the hallway as the sun began to rise, but neither stopped for even a moment. Slade was actually rather enjoying the fight. It was nice to have a real challenge now and then. Robin never really fought back anymore, so he had been lacking some serious training lately.

To Slade, this was a game, and a really difficult one at that. To Yvette, this was a fight for her right to live. She knew that this was a life or death situation, but that didn't stop her from enjoying it.

"Come on Slade, is that all you got? Have you been getting a little lazy since you have a ward to do all the work for you now?" she teased, getting a growl from the man. He lunged towards her and grabbed her neck, forcing her back into the wall. As he pushed his hands into her throat, she circled her arms around his and shoved them down. He was forced to let go and she dropped to the ground, grabbing a staff and knocking him in the back of the knees with it.

He used the forward momentum to flip onto his hands and kick off of the wall, receiving a smile from Yvette. He had always been the best at flips whereas she was always more of a ground person. She did her best with solid planted feet; he did his best when in the air… After landing gracefully, he pulled the axe out of the wall and ran towards her.

He brought the blade down and she caught it with the staff, deflecting it off to the right. The two then continued taking turns attacking and blocking each other. After several minutes of loud clinks from the axe hitting the staff, she managed to finally dislodge it from his hands, sending it flying into the desk with a thud.

She then kicked him square in the chest, sending him stumbling back as she ran out of the room. He pushed himself forward with his hands, promptly following her into the front of the apartment. Upon arriving in the living room, he saw that the door was wide open. The sound of heavy footsteps could be heard from above as he exited the apartment. She was running up the metal stairs, heading for the roof.

Going down would mean ending up in the street and causing a massive scene that would most likely end in dozens of deaths, so she decided to go for the roof instead. Once there, she would only have to make it to the rooftop of the bakery down the street where she could climb down the fire escape and blend into the foot traffic… that was at least what she hoped...

Slade began climbing the stairs and was now only one flight below Yvette. The door to the roof slammed against the wall as she burst through it. She made it about halfway across the rooftop before Slade came through the door, swiftly following her at a sprint. The sun was just above the horizon, though it was still slightly dim outside, and she could feel the chilly air stinging her face.

Yvette landed on the next roof with a crunch and slid across the gravel before standing back up and continuing to run. She felt something brush against her back and skidded to a stop before turning around. Slade had just landed on the roof and seeing her stopped, stood still.

"Are you really going to kill me Slade? After all that we have been through?" she asked, looking at the man standing a few yards away. She didn't honestly believe it; she felt like this was more of a friendly warning.

"No," he replied, walking towards her slowly. _Knew it!_ She cocked her head to the side and continued to stand her ground, not moving back as he approached her. "Robin is."

She saw something move towards the corner of the building and turned her head to see what it was. Robin was crouching near the edge of the roof, a small leather pouch in his hand.

"Ah, Robin, I was wondering when you were going to pop up," she sighed, not at all sounding betrayed by Slade's previous statement. Robin continued to watch her with a blank expression, not moving an inch. "It's a shame to be meeting you under such circumstances. Is it true that you are the famed 'shadow assassin'?" she asked, talking to him like he was a child.

"I believe that the term 'shadow assassin' is used for any job that has not been claimed under the name of a gun for hire," Slade commented. "Though of course, Robin accounts for a large portion of those." She laughed at Slade's clever explanation; she didn't actually expect an answer.

"So, you are a murderer now, just like the rest of us?" she asked, examining his face. "Doesn't seem like it…" She looked at Slade, speaking to him like he was an old friend.

"Take off your mask, Robin," Slade commanded. Robin obeyed without question and pulled off his mask. Yvette looked slightly confused until she saw his eyes.

"Oh," she whispered, unable to think of anything else to say. Man, Slade really _fucked _this kid up. Though she had always respected and admired Slade, she never approved of his kidnapping and manipulating young teens. She may not have many morals, but that just didn't seem right to her.

What had he done to Robin to make him like this? From what she had seen previously on television, he always seemed to be pretty strong willed. How Slade had managed to break him to such a point, she had no idea. She wasn't entirely sure that she even wanted to know… She looked back to the teen, almost feeling pity for him. Slade really managed to push the limits of his level of evil with this one.

"Ungh-" Robin stood up, looking at the woman clutching at her ribs. Slade pulled the knife out of her back and walked towards Robin. The bloody blade dropped to the ground in a clatter before settling and she swiftly grabbed the nearest weapon on her.

"Stabbing me in the back? That was just plain dirty," she choked out, her breath rattling slightly. "But know this, even wounded, I am just as deadly," she commented, standing up straight despite the pain.

"I know that," Slade replied nonchalantly. "Which is why I came prepared." Robin stood still next to his master, awaiting his command. "You see, Robin here has darts laced with a very special something." Yvette took a step forward, aiming the gun at the two.

"I'm immune to all poisons, you should know that!" she retorted, clearly pleased that he had made such a mistake. "And he missed me if you don't recall." She looked at the small pouch of darts in Robin's hand, noticing the empty slot next to the small bottle.

"Yes, I am aware that you are immune to _most _poisons," he drawled, standing with his hands held behind his back. "Although, this is not a poison." Robin tilted his head to the side, never breaking eye contact with Yvette. In all the years that she had been in the business, she had never seen anyone like him. She had seen the criminally insane, the ones haunted by guilt, even the psychopathic ones who killed purely for fun, but she had never seen one like him before. Guess that is what happens when you are forced into the career…

"Have you ever heard of a company called Neuro Link Inc.?" he asked, standing tall with his behind his back.

"The bio-tech company? Yeah, the fucking headquarters is right down the street, Slade," she mocked. Slade narrowed his eye; he really hated being talked to like that.

"They were working on a new serum, a neural inhibitor of some sorts; top secret government work-"

"And you were the one that stole it?" she concluded, saying it as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. No wonder they covered up the theft and passed it off as an attack. Secret bio-weapons weren't exactly supposed to be public knowledge.

"Just for you…" he purred.

"Wow, I'm flattered. But, I'm not going to just stand here and get tainted with your brain serum," she replied, eyeing Robin's hands, observing the green phial more closely.

"Oh, and Yvette?" Slade asked.

"What?!" She was really getting agitated with his games now. It had been fine when he used them on other people, but she hated being toyed around with.

"Robin never misses." She blinked and looked down at her shoulder; the spot that she had felt something brush by had a small, metal object in it. Upon pulling it out, she noticed that it was a tiny, featherless dart. Slade put his hand on Robin's shoulder and the boy looked up at him, receiving a nod to continue. He took several steps forward, approaching the now panicking woman.

"Pretty soon you are going to start feeling faint as your brain begins to shut down. After that, your body will stop functioning and you will lose all control over yourself. It will only be a matter of time before you die from suffocation," he explained as Robin gained on the woman, forcing her to back up.

She pulled the trigger of her gun, shooting at Robin with all of her rounds. Slade made a move towards him, but stopped as Robin dodged every single bullet. He was grateful that Robin hadn't seen him...

Just as Slade had said, her vision started to become blurred as if she was drunk. Every movement that she saw slurred and Robin, taking advantage of this, made a move to grab her gun. With all of the strength she had left, she swiped the end of the gun towards his head. A deafening crunch sounded as he was knocked to the ground.

Slade stood still, not moving to help Robin whatsoever. This was his kill… He couldn't baby the boy... Yvette started to run, trying to get to the next roof, while Robin stood up and wiped the blood off of his face. Without so much as a glance towards Slade, he began to sprint after her.

Her arms were beginning to tingle and her fingertips went numb. She made to jump to the next roof when a firm grip pulled her back. Robin wrapped his arm around her neck and began to walk backwards, pulling her with him. Her hands flew back to his face and she pushed her fingers into his mask, attempting to blind him. With his other arm, he pulled out a dagger and thrust it into one of her biceps.

She gritted her teeth and grunted quietly in pain while Robin continued to drag her like a ragdoll. She tried to use her feet to push off of the ground to stand, but she couldn't seem to get a solid grip.

Once at the front of the roof, Robin dropped her onto the ground and pushed his foot into her back, keeping her face down. He pulled the dagger out of her arm, making a sickening suctioning sound.

She could barely feel the blade as her arms were almost completely numb. Breathing was also becoming harder as she had to consciously think about it. Robin took his foot off of her and placed it on the ground so that he was standing directly over her. She felt her hair being pulled and was forced to lean her head back as far as it would go without snapping. She felt warm blood drip down her neck as he pushed the same dagger that had been in her arm against her throat.

Using all the effort she could muster, she reached into her pockets. Just as Robin was about to slit her neck, she pulled out a small wooden staff and slammed it down onto his foot. He loosened his grip on her hair and pulled the blade back slightly, which she used to her advantage.

She quickly grabbed his arm, causing him to drop the knife, and flipped onto her back. He was now leaning over her, being tugged down by her arms while trying to pull out of her grip, which was what she had been counting on. She pulled her knees into her chest and kicked him as hard as she could in the stomach while at the same time letting go of his arm.

He flew backwards and landed on his spine while she scrambled up. She could feel the sting where he had pressed the knife into her neck and started to back up. Slade was still watching the whole thing from the edge of the roof, not at all concerned about the outcome of the mission despite his recent bad experience. She was nice and drugged up now; there was no way she could pose a threat to Robin...

Everything was starting to spin and she continued to take steps backwards, trying to find her sense of balance. Robin walked towards her, the blade back in his hand, with a look of annoyance on his face. He, unlike Slade, did not appreciate the challenge. He just wanted this to be over with.

He stopped suddenly, watching as she stumbled. She felt something hit her heel and turned around to see what it was, unable to stop herself from tripping over the edge of the roof. With a scream, she tumbled backwards, only managing to grab the edge at the last moment.

She could see Robin's feet as he stepped towards her and crouched down to look at her face. The arm which had been impaled was beginning to shake and eventually gave out under the pressure. She was now hanging by one hand, unable to swing her other arm back up to grip the ground since she could no longer control it. She looked up into his face and he smiled slightly at her, sending her head reeling.

He lifted his hand up and brought it down with all of his might, sending the dagger straight through her hand and into the ground. She screamed loudly and flailed as she was now hanging only by the knife. Robin leaned in and looked into her eyes, making her really feel the betrayal. Sure, this _was _Slade's job and no one was technically off limits, but she couldn't help but feel angry about it. She never expected her death to be because of him, and she certainly didn't expect him to outsource it to his _apprentice!_ She at least deserved to die at his own hands!

Her eyes narrowed and Robin leaned away from her, pulling the knife out abruptly. She gasped as her fingers attempted to grasp the gravel, breaking several fingernails in the attempt. He watched as she plummeted down several stories to the streets below, only stepping away when she hit the ground.

He stood still, looking out at the horizon, while Slade walked over to him. He leaned over Robin and looked down at the ground below.

"Quite a scene," Slade commented, watching as people started screaming and scrambling around the body. He hadn't expected Robin to throw her off the roof; that was certainly going to make the news… It didn't really matter anyways since the Titans had already tracked them. Something about New York was just not fairing them well…

"Robin-" he started sternly, turning to look at the boy, but cut off upon seeing that his apprentice wasn't there. He turned around to scan the roof, but Robin was gone. "Damn it!" Slade growled angrily, picking up the bloody knife from the ground before leaving.

…

"Aargh! Turn it off!" Beast Boy moaned from his bed. A loud, rather annoying beeping had woken him up. Cyborg groaned and reached for the table next to his bed, trying to find his communicator. After knocking over several items, he finally grabbed the beeping device. He pried his eyes open and attempted to read the screen, his vision blurry from having just woken up.

"BB! Get up!" he shouted, crawling out of his bed and searching for the keys to the T-car. Beast Boy grunted and turned around, pulling his sheets up to his ears and attempting to fall back asleep. "Yo! Get up!" Cyborg shouted, louder than before. He was on his hands and knees, searching for the keys that he had knocked over. Beast Boy flipped over angrily, trying to go back to sleep, and ended up falling off of his mattress. He landed on Cyborg, whose bed was directly below his, and knocked him onto his stomach.

"Get off of me," Cyborg grunted, throwing his teammate onto the floor next to him. While lying on the ground, he spotted the keys under the bunk bed and grabbed them.

"What is it?!" Beast Boy asked agitatedly. They had just gone to bed a few hours ago after finally finishing with the files. He was in no mood to be doing anything any time soon.

"Just got an alert! Unidentified death in the inner city," Cyborg explained, running out of the room as he did so. Beast Boy followed him down the hallway, now more alert and ready to listen. Inside the main cabin, Raven was standing and yawning, clearly tired by the look of the dark circles under her eyes.

"What is it Cyborg?" she asked. All the crashing and shouting had woken her up, though Starfire was still asleep.

"Unidentified body in the city!" he repeated. She perked up and quickly ran into the girl's bedroom to wake up Starfire. Beast Boy walked up to Cyborg and grabbed his arm.

"Do you think it's-"

"I don't know… but if it is, we have to move fast," Cyborg stated. Beast Boy nodded in comprehension, knowing that if it was Victor, then Robin would be gone soon. A surprisingly alert, yet tired looking Starfire rushed out of the hallway with Raven on her tail.

"It is Robin?" she asked, running towards the exit.

"I don't know yet, the police seem to think it is a suicide, but they don't know who the body belongs to," Cyborg explained, following her down the steps outside. Once everyone had exited the plane, Cyborg started the car and signaled for them to get in. Before anyone had a chance to say anything, they were on the road while Cyborg fiddled with the dial.

The sound system switched between channels and Raven was becoming agitated that he was trying to find a station to listen to at such a time. He finally found what he was looking for and turned up the volume.

"Cyborg, can you please turn-" Raven began before getting shushed. Coming through the speakers was what sounded like a police scanner. She nodded in acknowledgment and listened intently while the other two leaned forward in the back. They continued driving towards the source of the call, waiting for something new to come up on the scanners.

Several minutes passed without conversation before someone finally broke the silence. "Turn right!" Raven shouted as Cyborg missed an off-ramp. He had been listening so carefully that he had completely missed their exit. Up ahead was another ramp that he figured he could turn around at, so he got off the road and pulled into the side streets.

"_The body has been identified as female,"_ a voice on the scanner said. Everyone in the car looked at each other, none of them knowing what to do now. "_Get an ambulance down here!"_ Cyborg turned the volume down so that they could hear each other.

"So… Do we still check it out?" Beast Boy asked, leaning forward in between the two front seats. Raven edged towards the door, uncomfortable with how he was breaking her personal space bubble.

"We're almost there, I mean, we could at least see what happened," Cyborg proposed. "You know, see if it is anything important…" Starfire was disappointed that this did not pertain to Victor or Robin, but agreed to go to the crime scene as she was already up.

"I suppose," Raven replied tonelessly. Cyborg put the car back into drive and turned around to find the on-ramp. Raven leaned her head against her hand and looked out the window, watching the streets begin to light up as the sun rose into the sky.

"Hey, wait!" she shouted suddenly, turning her entire body to face the window. Cyborg slammed the brakes and the two Titans in the back flew into the seats ahead of them.

"Hey, man!" Beast Boy shouted, rubbing his head. Starfire huffed quietly next to him, trying to get the seat belt to unlock.

"Sorry," Cyborg replied. "What is it?" he asked urgently, facing Raven. She had her hands pressed against the window and was looking intently out at an alleyway.

"I'm not sure…" she whispered, opening the car door slowly to step out. Cyborg gave her a concerned look and pulled the car over to the side of the road. Beast Boy and Starfire got out of the car and stood beside the doors, not wanting to venture any further. They watched as Raven stood silently ahead of them, staring at a building. Cyborg soon joined the other two and gave them a look of alarm.

"Rae-" Beast Boy began, but her hand shot up, telling him to stop. The other three were now becoming uneasy. Something didn't feel right…

They stood silently for about twenty minutes, not knowing what to do or say, before Raven finally moved. She walked back to the car and got in the passenger's seat without a word. The Titans all gave each other a look of bewilderment before filing into the car tiredly.

"Raven," Cyborg addressed cautiously, putting his seatbelt on. She had her hood covering her face and was sitting unusually still.

"I thought I saw something…" she replied vaguely, her voice slightly off.

"Are you the okay?" Starfire asked, placing her hand on Raven's shoulder worriedly. Raven just nodded in response and waved her hand for Cyborg to start the car. With one last glance towards Raven, he started the engine and drove off towards the scene of the crime.

* * *

As usual, please be so kind as to leave a review. I love getting feedback! And thank you so much for your continued support! I really could not have written all that I have without you guys!


	17. Unfamiliar Face

-The Disclaimer is in Chapter One-

So, I have bad news... The reason that this took _so_ long to post was due to the fact that I just returned to college... Which means that updates are going to slow down to about once every other week. I know it sucks and I really hate it, but I just don't have the time with the new semester. I will try to update as soon as possible, but if there is a really long wait for certain chapters that means that it is midterms or finals. Please don't give up if there is a long wait, I promise I am not going to stop writing this story, it will just be slower...

Anyways, enjoy this chapter. I wish I could have edited more and changed a little bit, but that would mean about another week of waiting, so it will have to do. Enjoy!

* * *

The Titans arrived at the crime scene only minutes after the ambulance. The police were very reluctant to allow them near the crime scene, but gave in since they were so called 'superheroes'. Cyborg had been very grateful that the body was already zipped up in a bag before any of his other teammates could see it; though it did not keep it from being any less horrifying.

The first thing they had noticed was the disturbingly massive amount of blood and tissue everywhere. Beast Boy had turned even greener than usual and was forced to step away while Starfire nearly passed out from the sight. The two were now standing near one of the cop cars, making sure to avoid looking at the crime scene. Cyborg walked over to them after looking at the scene in horror. He had never seen anything like it… the pure carnage…

Raven followed him, her face still hidden by her hood, and joined them all. They were about to discuss what they thought about it when a police officer walked by. Cyborg, having wanted more information, went to approach him.

"Hey, I was wondering if you could talk with us for a moment?" he asked.

"Well, actually, I'm just a crime scene photographer, but I'm sure that Vince would help you," the man replied, pointing to another man standing a few yards away.

"Thanks." The man nodded and walked away and Cyborg walked over to the man named Vince, leaving the other three standing alone.

"This is just sick," Beast Boy declared, retching slightly at the thought of what he had just seen. Raven and Starfire nodded in agreement and remained silent. They all stood up straighter as Cyborg and the policeman came back towards them.

"Thanks for agreeing to speak to us," Cyborg said, turning to face Vince.

"No problem, what would you like to know?" he replied, clearly not perturbed by the situation at all as he was used to seeing such graphic images on a regular basis.

"What…._happened?!_" Beast Boy asked faintly.

"It appears that she either fell or jumped from the roof. It could have been an accident, suicide, or even something fouler," Vince explained.

"Which do _you_ think it was?" Raven asked, thinking that he wasn't going to give a straight answer.

"Honestly, in my professional opinion, I think someone pushed her off," he said, lowering his voice so that no one else could hear. He didn't normally give out information like that, but he thought he could make an exception for a couple of heroes.

"Why is that?" Starfire asked, curious to hear his reasoning.

"Well, the wounds on her extremities suggest that she had been injured before falling off the roof. I am not quite certain as I am not a coroner… but she seemed to have injuries that could not have been caused by the fall." Cyborg looked away from the man to see where his teammate was going. Starfire and Beast Boy seemed to be too into the conversation to notice, but Raven had wandered off in the middle of the explanation.

She was now standing at the edge of the street, once again staring intently at another alleyway. Cyborg's heart skipped a beat as he became even more worried than before. She was really freaking him out now…

"When are you going to know for certain?" Beast Boy asked, not noticing that Cyborg was staring off into the street.

"This is just between us, but the whole thing was caught on tape... The bank across the street has a mounted camera that scopes over this building, so it should have recorded the whole incident. We have people that are working on getting the footage right now, so we should know for sure in a couple of hours," Vince replied.

Cyborg had vaguely heard what he had just said and turned his attention to the man while still keeping his eyes on Raven.

"We need to see that footage," Cyborg declared. A breeze was now picking up and Cyborg watched as Raven's cloak began to shift. She remained unmoving despite the fact that her cloak was wrapping around her torso oddly. _What is wrong with her?!_

"Um…" Vince replied hesitantly.

"Look! It is really important that we see that footage!" Beast Boy shouted, quickly getting hushed by the officer.

"Not so loud! Okay, why don't you stop by my office around one and I'll show you what comes up." Beast Boy and Starfire nodded enthusiastically and Vince handed them his card. "Just come to this address and look for building twelve," he instructed. Cyborg shook his hand and thanked him for his help before he walked away.

"Okay, so what do you- Hey! Anyone there?" Beast Boy said, waving his hand in front of Cyborg's face. He turned to see what he was staring at and became slightly nauseated at the sight of Raven standing creepily at the edge of the sidewalk. "What's she-?"

Cyborg started to walk towards her with Starfire close behind him. Beast Boy followed the two reluctantly, honestly being too creeped out to want to go near Raven. They all stopped behind her and looked carefully across the street, trying to see what she was seeing. Starfire leaned forward next to Raven, noticing the intense look of concentration on her face. After a few minutes, Beast Boy couldn't take it anymore.

"What is she _looking _at?!" he whispered loudly to Cyborg, who just shrugged in return. Starfire took a step forward to stand next to Raven and touched her arm lightly.

"Raven?" she asked, fear and concern in her voice. Raven did not reply, but just continued to stand there for another several minutes.

"We should go," she finally said. Cyborg and Beast Boy glanced at each other, obviously freaked out.

"Erm, Raven? What do you keep staring at?" Beast Boy asked shakily. Raven just shook her head and started to walk to the car, leaving a bunch of confused Titans in her wake.

Once in the car, Cyborg sat still, not turning the engine on. "So um, what do you guys want to do until one?" he asked, turning to face the two in the back seat. He decided to ignore Raven's odd behavior for now.

"We could search for the boss of the crime," Starfire suggested.

"We could keep looking at the abandoned warehouses," Beast Boy offered, unable to think of anything else to do. He really wanted to see that footage…

"NO!" Raven shouted, causing everyone to jump. Cyborg leaned back into his chair and looked at her, but she turned her head away from him and gazed out the window.

"What?"

"No abandoned warehouses," she said resolutely. He decided not to push the matter and turned to start the car.

"Tailing Victor it is…" he mumbled, pulling out onto the street.

…

It had been several hours since the Titans woke up and they were sitting inside the car outside of a large manor. Two large pizza boxes were sitting in the back and Beast Boy was now eating his sixth slice.

"We should probably get going. We are supposed to meet that Vince guy in like twenty minutes and we are practically an hour away… Plus, this guy is the most boring guy to watch in the universe…" Beast Boy reckoned, garbling his speech as he chewed. So far, all they had seen was him step outside to smoke a cigarette.

"Perhaps one of us should stay here?" Starfire suggested sweetly.

"No, we should stick together," Raven commanded. She had been sending off a really uncomfortable vibe the entire time and was quite frankly pissing Beast Boy off. The only times that she spoke was to talk down to them or boss them around.

"Raven's right, we should just stay together," Cyborg agreed as he started the car. "We'll be back soon anyways, I'm pretty sure Victor will still be alive in the next hour." The car pulled onto the street and the four rode in silence for the next forty five minutes. Beast Boy was examining the card Vince had given them while Raven stared out the window.

When they arrived, Starfire was the first one out of the car. The rest followed her down the sidewalk as they looked for building twelve. A small mobile building with dingy paint stood before them, bearing a plate with the number twelve on it. All four of them filed up the ramp and entered the building one by one, Raven being last.

As the others looked for the office with the name Vince on it, Raven looked out the door cautiously before closing it. Inside his office, Vince heard several knocks and stood up to open the door.

"Hello, Titans!" he exclaimed, moving out of the way so they could come in. "How are you?"

"Tired," Beast Boy replied, taking a seat in the only chair there was.

"Sorry I don't have more seats, but I don't normally have this many people in my office at one time." Beast Boy could see why… It was tiny to say the least. The walls were jam packed with shelves and filing cabinets and the desk was smashed into the corner. Starfire stood in front of a book shelf, admiring the pictures of his family with curiosity.

"I don't mean to be rude, but we really need to be somewhere else right now, so can you show us the video?" Cyborg asked, trying to be as polite as possible. Vince seemed a little offended, but didn't say anything about it as he took a seat at his desk.

"Yeah, I get it, business before pleasure," he remarked quietly, folding his hands in his lap. After a few moments of silence, he realized that none of them were going to say anything. "So… Actually, an unexpected problem showed up with the security tapes…"

"Seriously!? Are you kidding me?" Beast Boy groaned impatiently. He really was counting on this video…

"They've been tampered with… It just skips straight over the incident… About a half hour is missing," he explained unhappily, "Which leads us to believe that it was foul play after all."

"And the medical examiner? What did he have to say about the body?" Raven cut in, standing near the door with Cyborg.

"We haven't exactly gotten the official report yet, but he did say that there were a few puncture wounds and bruises that were inconsistent with a fall." Raven opened her mouth to ask a question, but he cut her off before she could even begin, knowing what she was going to say. "No, we haven't identified the body yet…" The Titans all stood in silence, letting the information sink in. "There was also blood found at the top of the roof, specifically on the edge… There was a bloody hand print that looks to be about her size, which means…"

"She was holding onto the edge before she fell," Raven cut in, finishing his thought. Vince pursed his lips and nodded before looking over to Starfire, who was now holding a picture of him and his best friend.

"That's my buddy Clark, he works over in the main building," he explained. Beast Boy looked up, his eyes widening slightly, before looking away quickly.

"Beast Boy? Is this not the man- Mfph!" Beast Boy flew up and covered her mouth, shaking his head. Vince stared oddly at the two as Beast Boy slowly and awkwardly backed away. Starfire put the picture down and Cyborg cleared his throat.

"So… I guess if that is it…" he began, edging towards the door. This whole investigation seemed to be a waste of their time and he figured they should just go back to their original plan of tailing Victor. Vince immediately stood up and walked towards him, sticking his hand out.

"How about I give you a call if anything new comes up," he offered, shaking Cyborg's hand. Raven walked past the two and stood outside the office, waiting for them to finish with the formalities.

"Yeah, thanks man!" Cyborg said and Vince turned to shake Beast Boy and Starfire's hands.

"Thank you for your help," Raven added, shaking his hand last after everyone exited out of the room. He nodded and walked past them to the front of the building, remembering that he needed to pick up some files.

"Well, that was a bust," Beast Boy sighed.

"Yeah," Cyborg agreed, slightly angry that they had left their stakeout for this.

"What did he mean by the 'foul play'?" Starfire asked. She didn't want to ask in front of the man and embarrass herself.

"It means that whoever killed her messed with the videotapes so that it wouldn't be caught on camera," Beast Boy replied, receiving a nod of understanding from Starfire.

"Doesn't matter anyways, this has nothing to do with Robin," Cyborg theorized, leaning against the wall and looking to see if anyone was listening to them.

"I wouldn't say that…" Raven replied.

"What? You think this is somehow related to him?" Cyborg honestly could find no correlation between the two whatsoever.

"Perhaps we should speak with the Red X again?" Starfire proposed.

"Think he would know if Slade had a strife with a woman?" Cyborg didn't think that was much to go on. Their time was probably better spent tailing Victor…

"We _are_ right here, we could just stop by and question him again," Beast Boy offered.

"I guess…" It couldn't hurt, plus, it would only take a few minutes since they were so close. Beast Boy nodded and pulled out his communicator, dialing the number for the holding cells.

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't help but overhear you." Beast Boy jumped and looked behind him to where Vince was standing, holding a single file in his hand. _Damn it!_ "Did you say that you wanted to speak to that thief?"

"Er…" _Think of something to say!_ Beast Boy really hoped that Vince hadn't heard them say Robin's name, he really wanted to keep the police out of this for now. Cyborg didn't quite understand why he was acting so strangely… so what if the man heard them talking about Red X? What could be the harm?

"I'm afraid you aren't going to be able to," he said, walking into his office. "He escaped last night… Only had him for a few hours," he added shamefully.

"Do you guys lose everything?" Beast Boy asked incredulously. He meant it jokingly, but Vince took it the wrong way.

"This is New York; we have lots to do and very little man power. We can't exactly control the entire damn city!" he replied curtly before shutting the door.

"Great job… Way to piss off the only person who was going to help us," Raven said, receiving a glare from her teammate.

"It was a joke!" Raven started towards the front of the building and Beast Boy followed her with his arms raised. "Come on! Why is everyone so serious here?!" he shouted, slamming his hands down to his sides in defeat. Cyborg and Starfire glanced at each other, trying to ignore the two's arguing, and followed them out of the building.

Inside the office, Vince sat down at his desk and picked up the phone. A man picked up the other line after three rings and quickly stated his name and department. "Hey, it's me," Vince said, swiveling in his chair out of boredom. "I just got some strange visitors," he laughed.

After a small pause he spoke again. "The Teen Titans!" he declared, ignoring his anger at the comment Beast Boy had made. "Yeah, I know right!" Another pause and he opened the file he had grabbed to read it. "Wanted to know about the jumper from this morning… Yeah, I don't really know why. You think they are scoping out the city, thinking of moving here?..."

A few minutes away, another man was sitting at his desk, jotting down notes while on the phone. "Is there anything else that they wanted?" he asked, looking up and clicking his pen. "The thief?" _What could they want with the thief? _"Okay, thanks… I'll talk to you later. Yeah, bye." He put the phone back down on the base and sat back in his chair. "What is the connection?" he whispered to himself, writing a question mark on his notepad.

"Clark! I want that case report on my desk in a half hour!" The man dropped his notepad and turned around to grab his file. "You were supposed to have that for me yesterday."

"Sorry, I've been a little busy…" he said, handing the file over to the man standing at his desk.

"Maybe if you would spend a little less time doing unaffiliated investigations, then you would be caught up on your real damn work!" The man walked away and Clark sat back down, reading over his notes. He had his work cut out for him tonight…

…

A half hour later and the Titans were all in the car, on their way back to Victor's manor. "All I'm saying is that he had a stick up his butt!" Beast Boy declared, leaning in between the two front seats and looking at Raven.

"Beast Boy…" she said, rubbing her temples, "Just… shut up." Beast Boy smirked and sat back in his seat, glancing over at Starfire.

"That's the best advice I've ever heard," Cyborg chuckled jokingly, causing Raven's lips to curve slightly upwards. "But seriously though, BB. What was your problem with that guy?" he asked.

"It was a _joke!_" he shouted for the fifteenth time.

"No, not that… What was up with you jumping all over Starfire?" Comprehension dawned on Beast Boy's face and he lowered his voice.

"Oh, I just… I didn't want him to know that I talked to his friend," he answered resolutely, as if it explained everything.

"And why is that?" Raven asked sarcastically.

"Because! His friend was all over me about Robin… I don't want him to think that Robin had something to do with that woman," he explained. Cyborg still didn't quite understand why, but Raven silenced him as he was about to ask.

"Robin would never have killed that woman!" Starfire declared silently, her head resting on the window.

"Yeah… I just figured we should know everything that is going on in the city, you know?" Cyborg replied, trying to ease her mind. They were now going through the industrial area of the city, just before the suburbs where Victor and a select other few lived. Cyborg found it slightly humorous that you had to go through the ghetto to get to the rich neighborhoods.

Street by street passed them by in a blur and the sun was now directly above them in the sky. The streets, which were less busy than the inner city, only had a few pedestrians wandering about. Starfire and Raven observed the people as they passed them by, neither really looking for anything in particular.

Suddenly, a loud _pop_ sounded and the car jumped as if they hit a pot hole. They then felt the car limp forward; they had a flat tire…

"Man… Of all the things…" Cyborg sighed, pulling over to the curb. He and Beast Boy got out of the car to examine the passenger side tire while the two girls sat in the car.

"Perhaps we should offer the help?" Starfire commented, opening the door to step out. Raven got out and stood near the door, looking at the massive tear in the tire. "I can lift the car for you," Starfire offered, knowing that it would be easy.

"Yeah, we'll have you do that; let me get the spare tire from the back first though," Cyborg sighed, walking towards the back. "I'll fix this up before BB can even begin complaining!" he joked. Raven stood up straighter and looked over toward an alley a few yards away, suddenly seeming alert. Beast Boy recognized that and looked over to where she was staring, seeing nothing once again.

"Don't tell me you are going to stare at nothing all creepily again!" he said, trying to mask the fear in his voice. He didn't really feel comfortable being stranded on the side of the road with her being all freaky again. Cyborg came back, rolling a tire with him, and stopped to see what Raven was looking at.

"How long until you think the car will be ready?" Raven asked quietly, her eyes squinting as she looked for something. Starfire stretched her head out as far as she could to the side, trying to see what Raven was seeing.

"Five minutes maybe, why?" he replied, letting the tire fall to its side on the floor with a thud. Raven grabbed his shoulders and pulled him to the side, out of hearing range from the other two.

"Someone has been following us all day, ever since we got off the freeway this morning," she stated, sounding slightly worried. Cyborg wasn't used to hearing that in her voice, which made his stomach uneasy.

"Do you know who it is?" he asked, his voice now down to a whisper.

"I'm not…_certain…_" she replied warily, looking over his shoulder at the same alleyway. "It is familiar, but I can't place it... It's like I know who it is, but don't at the same time… I've been sensing it everywhere we go though, at the crime scene, at the police station, even at Victor's house…" she explained. Cyborg glanced over at the other two who were staring at them quite agitatedly, wanting to be in on the conversation. Beast Boy was fidgeting and switching his glances between the alleyway and his teammates.

"Is it friendly?" he asked, expecting the answer to be a flat no.

"I can't quite tell," she replied, getting a look of confusion from him. "People are very complicate beings, with many different emotions and auras. Not everyone is so black and white; sometimes their auras are very complicated to read. That's why I have been concentrating so hard, I've been trying to figure it out, but I can't."

"Well… What have you gotten from it so far?" he asked, hoping that she would have a more concrete answer. She sighed; _why didn't he understand_?

"It is not necessarily a nice person… In fact, it is quite malevolent…" she explained, still feeling it now. "I'm pretty sure that whoever it is flattened our tire…" Cyborg's eyebrows furrowed in concern and he scanned the area for any immediate threats. "But, like I said, it is very complicated. I don't think that whoever it is wants to necessarily hurt us… just study us…"

"Should we approach it?" he asked, wanting to know who was following them. "We can't just lead it back to our ship later on," he added. It could wait until they were all asleep to strike for all he knew.

"No, definitely not; that is the exact opposite of what we should do." Cyborg sighed and scratched his jaw. What were they supposed to do then? "I say we just let it be. Unless it becomes a threat, we leave it alone," she explained in a commanding tone.

"Hey!" Cyborg and Raven both looked over to see Starfire shouting and pointing at someone in the distance. Before Raven could so much as open her mouth, Starfire was running after the figure with a nervous Beast Boy on her tail.

"No! Stop!" Raven shouted, but neither heard nor listened as they ran. She was soon left alone as Cyborg sprinted after them, thinking that she was by his side. With a hesitant shift in her weight, she levitated into the air and flew after them all, extremely angry that no one had listened to her. This was exactly what the person had wanted, to have them follow it into a dark freaking alleyway!

Raven soon caught up with the rest of her team as they entered a large, broken down looking building. Inside was what used to be a front office; the walls were dark gray and had faint black streaks on them from what looked like fire damage. The room even smelled like smoke, reminding them all of the smell of the tower for the first few weeks after Slade's attack.

Raven was now flying slightly behind Cyborg, who was in the front, while he climbed the stairs. A large slam echoed throughout the building and Cyborg followed it into the hallway of the seventh floor. They all slowed to a stop and looked around, trying to find where the figure had went.

"We should go back," Raven stated resolutely, getting an eager nod from Beast Boy who could also sense the malignant presence due to his heightened senses.

"Robin?" Starfire shouted loudly, receiving a shush from Beast Boy. Several faint claps reverbed down the hallway and Beast Boy shuttered lightly.

"This is all too familiar," he commented quietly as they followed the faint clapping. The dingy hallway got darker the further they walked down and Starfire sneezed softly from the dust in the air.

They arrived at a large double door when the sound stopped, whoever it was clearly wanted them to go in. With a deep breath of anticipation, Cyborg grabbed the handle and motioned for the others to stand back. The door flew open and slammed against the wall inside the large office. Cyborg quickly scanned the room, turning on his small shoulder light. There were large boards of wood covering the windows against the wall, though light still escaped through small cracks, and a large desk sat in the middle of the room.

Everyone stood tall upon seeing a figure standing next to the desk and Starfire's hands began to glow a faint green light.

"Red X!" she shouted, sounding angry that he had lured them all the way to this building when they just saw him yesterday. Way to build up all that anticipation for nothing…

"I thought you said you didn't know it," Cyborg commented questioningly to the empath next to him who had suddenly become stiff as a board. She clenched her fists as the realization dawned upon her. She felt so stupid! How could she have let them come here? Regret immediately filled her and she tried to think of a way to get out of the situation.

"Cyborg, I-" she began, but Starfire took a step forward. She lifted her hand up towards him, preparing to just blast him and get it over with. She didn't exactly feel like dealing with Red X again so soon, and she especially didn't feel like listening to his sarcastic banter for an hour. The green light shown on his back and she tilted her head to the side. _Where was his cape?_

The figure turned around and she gasped, her hands flying to her mouth and losing their glow. Beast Boy's eyes widened and Cyborg stumbled back slightly.

"Robin!" she shouted, her voice filled with glee. Cyborg shot Raven a confused glance, but she just continued to stare at her leader with narrowed eyes. Starfire immediately shot up into the air, her feet leaving the ground for the first time in what felt like forever, and tears began to form in her eyes. She felt so much joy in that moment that she was certain that she would explode, either with tears or quite literally. "Robin!" she repeated.

"Go home," he replied, his voice empty and emotionless. Everyone, including Raven, was taken aback by the sound of his voice. They didn't recognize it; that was not their leader's voice.

Starfire tilted her head and floated forward a few feet, not understanding. "What?" was all she could think of to say.

"Leave New York, now," he commanded, not moving an inch from where he was standing. Beast Boy couldn't help but notice how unusually still he stood.

"We will, but first we need to make sure that Slade doesn't notice that you are gone until we are half way across the country," Cyborg said, taking a step forward. Raven stood still in her spot, now standing slightly behind everyone and watching with a pit in her stomach. She knew what was going to happen before anyone else quite understood.

"No, I'm not coming with you," Robin replied coldly.

"What?" Starfire gasped, shock evident in her voice. "Why wouldn't you want to come with us?"

"Yeah dude, if you are worried about Slade, it'll be fine. We will protect you from him, we won't let him get to you again," Beast Boy assured. There was no way in hell Slade was getting anywhere near Robin after all this. Beast Boy would die protecting Robin from that man.

"I'm not leaving Slade. Now, go back to Jump and just forget about me, pretend I never existed if you have to." Starfire's tears of joy stopped flowing and she was now looking very confused.

"We could never forget about you!" she declared, offended that he could have thought such a thing.

"Yeah! We have been searching for you for years! We never forgot and we never will forget you!" Beast Boy added, trying to talk Robin out of it. Perhaps he was just angry that it had taken them so long, maybe he thought they _had _forgot about him.

"You are our _friend!" _Starfire reminded him, clutching her arm in her hand nervously. "We won't abandon you!" Cyborg flashed the light towards Robin, letting it settle upon his face so that they could see him. Starfire gasped and flew back in shock and Beast Boy and Cyborg inhaled sharply, all of their jaws dropping a little.

Robin's face was so…_worn…_ He looked like he had been through hell and back. There were several faint scars along his jawline and his features were very severe. He no longer looked like their slightly neurotic and fun loving leader; he looked a cold and worn soldier.

"I'm not your friend anymore…" Robin whispered darkly, sending a dagger straight into Starfire's heart.

"That's not true!" she shouted defiantly, her voice full of pain.

"It is. I'm not your leader or friend, I'm not the person that you once knew … I am a murder and I belong to Slade… I don't _want_ to go with you," he declared heartlessly. Tears began to form in Starfire's eyes and she fell to the ground, landing harshly on her knees. Cyborg was staring at Robin with a betrayed look in his eyes; he wasn't so sure that Robin was acting anymore. He would have never said something so cruel, even for looks.

"Murderer?" Starfire repeated breathlessly, receiving a bone chilling stare from the former boy wonder.

"What the hell?! We're here to help you, man!" Beast Boy shouted. "You are our leader and we are here to rescue you! We finally find you and you don't even want to get away from that lunatic?!"

"I'm _not _your leader anymore and I don't want to be rescued," he said curtly. "Now, go home!" he commanded, his voice rising slightly.

"But you're a Titan!" Beast Boy professed.

"Not anymore," he barked back. Starfire felt like a ton of bricks had just hit her, she didn't even know how to handle such pain, it was unbearable. Cyborg looked over at her, feeling the deepest of pity and looked back at Robin desperately.

"Come on man, I know that Slade is probably threatening you with something or listening in right now, but we are here to help you! Stop fighting against us!" he tried, hoping to appeal to him.

"I wouldn't have lured you here if Slade was listening in, and believe me, this is not me fighting you, this is me showing a kindness to you," Robin stated, looking unsympathetically at the brokenhearted Tameranian. Cyborg was now hunched over Starfire, trying to comfort her, while giving Robin a look of disbelief. _This was not happening… "_I don't want your help, I am with Slade now, and nothing you do can change that."

"Showing us a kindness?" Beast Boy whispered questioningly. Robin ignored the comment and looked over to Cyborg, knowing that he was the new leader.

"I would suggest leaving now before it's too late," Robin stated dryly. _Was that a threat?!_ Cyborg could not believe his ears, he felt like he was dreaming. Robin made to leave, but Beast Boy stood in his way, looking into his face.

He stood his ground, despite feeling extremely afraid of the unknown boy in front of him. Robin's features were even more severe up close and the look on his face made Beast Boy want to cringe. The other Titans were now surrounding Robin in a circle, but he felt no threat whatsoever. He could take them all out right then easily, but he figured it would be best to at least give them a chance to leave.

"Robin, please," Starfire pleaded, her face desperate. He had to be acting, he had to!

"I'm giving you a chance to leave this unharmed, _take it_," he growled threateningly. She took a step back, looking at his mask in astonishment. He had never talked to her like that before… Beast Boy stared at him, trying to see through the mask, despite his new found fear of his former friend. He knew that this would destroy Starfire and yet Robin didn't seem to care! This was not who they came to save…

"This is the one and only chance you are going to get," he added before disappearing into the hallway like a ghost, leaving a group of frightened and broken friends behind.

…

The sun was now setting and a cool breeze flowed through the air, rustling the trees and making a pleasant sound. A car pulled into an empty lot where a plane sat, its lights turning off after stopping. A large, dark figure stepped out of it and inhaled, enjoying the crisp air.

After a few moments, the man walked towards the plane, a small device in hand. It would be another hour before the sun went completely down, so he knew that he had about ten minutes to accomplish his task.

Upon breaking in, he looked around, turning the lights on to see better. To the right was what looked like the door to the cockpit and to his left was what he assumed was a bathroom. He walked down the few feet of narrow hallway before entering the common room, where files were scattered all along a large table and dishes were piled in the sink.

Even after nearly two years of growing up, they still were slobs… He walked over to the files, looking through them casually and moving around them around. "So… you know what's going on now…" he murmured to himself, noticing files on all of the men that Robin had just recently killed in the warehouse. There was only one file missing, _Victor…_ They must have that on them, which meant they were tailing him.

To the right was a binder covered in piles of paper. He pulled it out of the mess and began to flip through the pages. _Abandoned buildings…_ They must be searching for their base. His eye widened upon seeing the address typed in the middle of a page, just several below what they had crossed out, which meant that they had come close… _very_ close.

He grabbed a pen off of the table and crossed out the addresses above and below his own before putting the binder back under the mess. He couldn't exactly just leave it there, in case they might decide to continue searching, and he couldn't just take it because they would notice. Hopefully they weren't keeping count of exactly how many they checked. Not that it mattered much anyways; they would be gone soon enough. Even if the Titans did show up, he would just annihilate them.

He moved all the files back to where they were originally and walked down to the bedrooms. They were void of anything useful, so he left them as they were and returned to the living area. They really were getting close this time, such a shame that it was all for nothing…

He turned off the lights and left, though not without finishing what he went there for in the first place. Time had seemed to escape him momentarily and he realized that he was there for twenty minutes, though no harm was done. He got into his car, his hands no longer holding the small device, and drove off.

"That ought to keep the Titans away," he murmured deviously, his eye glinting behind the two toned mask.

* * *

So, what did you think of their first meeting? Short, I know, and I apologize for that, but like I said, I didn't have time to really change a lot. I hope it was not a let down or anything... Thank you for all of your favs, follows, and reviews! I love you guys!


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